Taking Care of Callen
by justdreaming-83
Summary: Sequel to Almost Lost. Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and Hetty take care of Callen during his recovery from all the injuries I gave him. No pairings - just a big dose of H/C.
1. Restless Night

_Sequel to Almost Lost. Sam, Kensi, Deeks and Hetty take care of Callen during his recovery from all the injuries I gave him. _

_A special 'thank you' to Keviana for all your support and for being my Beta. You're the best!_

_Oh, and I forgot to state this in my initial chapter 1 post - I still do not own NCIS:LA or any of its characters. If I did, we wouldn't hurry through the hurt, and there would be a lot more comfort._

Chapter 1: Restless Night

Sam opened his eyes. The room was dark, except for the glow of the IV machine leading to Callen's right hand. The big ex-SEAL stretched, stiff from sleeping in a contorted position on the too small, too hard, hospital couch. He hoped the crunching sound of the vinyl had not disturbed his partner. To say Callen was a light sleeper would be an understatement. Sam had often seen G go from being asleep, to being up, dressed, and armed within seconds of the tiniest sound or the slightest movement in the room.

Sam settled, as quietly as he could, back into the vinyl cushions. Callen needed to rest. He had sustained a concussion, and fractures to his ribs and pelvis, when he was pushed (more like tackled) to safety by Sam, barely avoiding a sniper's bullet. And now, in addition to all the bruises, abrasions, and broken bones, he was severely dehydrated. Sam was troubled that Callen's physical condition had continued to deteriorate since the fall.

But, even more disturbing, were the emotional blows his partner had received over the past few days. There had been strong evidence that Callen's identity had been compromised through a security leak. Consequently, he was going to be transferred to another unit. That alone would have proved devastating. But, because of safety concerns, he had been instructed to permanently cut all ties with his team.

Sam remembered the anger and frustration he'd felt upon receiving this mandate from the Security Board. He recalled seeing a tear on Kensi's cheek and the look of shock on Deeks' face. Even Hetty had been unable to maintain her stoic façade. It was heartbreaking to watch their friend and colleague crumble, and then withdraw.

Sitting there in the dark hospital room, a sense of relief washed over Sam. He took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and smiled. The team had not lost Callen after all. The bad guy had been apprehended and their Senior Agent reinstated. Sam sighed. Now, they just had to get his partner through the next six weeks of rest and recuperation. Knowing G Callen, this was not going to happen without a fight.

Sam's eyes opened and he realized he had drifted off to sleep again. He pressed the button to illuminate the numbers on his watch – 22:05. Callen had been positioned on his left side for a while and Sam expected someone would be in to turn him and take vitals when the 11:00 pm shift started. That would give his partner at least another hour before being disturbed.

Within seconds, Sam could hear Callen shifting in the bed and making soft grunting sounds.

"G. It's dark in here for a reason. You're supposed to be sleeping."

Callen stilled for about a minute and then started moving again. It sounded like he was struggling to reposition himself.

"What's going on over there?" Sam got up from the couch, walked around to the opposite side of the bed where Callen was facing, lying on his side, and pulled the string to turn on the light above the bed.

Callen stopped moving and squinted up at his partner.

Sam shook his head in disbelief. The IV tubing was tangled around both of Callen's arms and was caught between the mattress and the headboard, causing his right arm to be trapped in an uncomfortable extended position above his head.

"How did you manage to do that?"

Callen tiredly frowned and looked down at the mess he was in.

"It's a wonder you didn't yank that thing out of your arm." Sam reached down between the top of the mattress and headboard and freed the tube from the bedsprings. Then he proceeded to carefully untangle the tubing, allowing Callen to return his right arm to a more comfortable position.

Callen glanced up briefly, a look that his partner understood said 'thank you.'

"The doctor doesn't want you moving around a lot right now," Sam said quietly. He pulled the covers up over Callen's right shoulder. "You need to close your eyes and try to get some sleep." He turned off the light and went back to his spot on the tiny couch.

Within a few minutes, the rustling of the sheets and the soft moans resumed.

"Now what's wrong?"

"I need to turn over." Callen's voice was weak and raspy.

"They want you on your side right now. They'll be in to turn you in a little while. You need to stop moving around."

But the movement didn't stop.

"G. Don't make me come over there," Sam warned lightheartedly.

Callen stilled… "You're not a very nice nurse," he mumbled.

Sam smiled. "You're not a very compliant patient."

Callen tried his best to remain still, but the pain in his hip was becoming more intense by the minute. In fact, he could not find a spot on his body that did not hurt at that moment. He shifted his weight and a hiss escaped.

Sam returned to the side of the bed and pulled the string to the light. He did not like the look of distress in Callen's eyes. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Sam removed the pillows that were tucked behind Callen and between his knees, allowing him to settle onto his back. "Better?"

Callen closed his eyes and gave Sam a nod, struggling to mask the pain and slow his breathing.

"You know, they'd give you pain medicine if you'd just ask."

"Don't need it."

Sam rolled his eyes.

Callen had been sedated for the first twenty-four hours after being admitted through the ER. But now, the orders stated that the pain medication was to be administered at the patient's request. _G requesting pain meds?... Not a chance._

Sam turned off the light and returned to the couch.

Just a little while later, the door opened and light from the hallway dimly lit the room. Nurse Monica stepped inside to find two blue eyes staring back at her. "Oh, you're awake. My shift ends in a few minutes. Would you like something for pain before I go?"

"No."

"Yes!" Sam said almost simultaneously.

"Give it to him," came a weak response from the bed. "He's way too grumpy."

Sam huffed. His partner was clearly a master at deflecting anything that resembled nurturing.

"Are you sure?" the nurse asked. "You haven't had anything for pain tonight."

"I'm good."

Sam huffed even louder. "Tell that to the patient in the next room who can't sleep because you're moaning and flopping around."

"See what I mean?... Grumpy."

Monica smiled at Sam and then turned her attention back to Callen. "Landon is working eleven to seven. If you change your mind, tell him when he comes by to check vitals, or just press the call light." The nurse turned and exited the room, closing the door behind her. She hoped the next shift would be more successful in persuading 'Mr. Carter' to consent to the pain meds—he needed to rest so his body could heal properly.

Landon made his rounds a while later. Sam was not surprised, but felt mildly frustrated when Callen, once again, refused pain medicine. But at least the male nurse was successful in getting him to drink a few sips of water. Of course, this was done with the warning that the doctor had written orders for him to be catheterized the next day if there had been no urinary output by then. There was no doubt what G was thinking when he accepted the cup of water; the look of horror on his face said it all.

"Make sure he continues to drink some whenever he's awake," Landon said to Sam while setting the Styrofoam cup back on the bedside table. "He's been given enough IV fluids for his kidneys to have functioned by now." The nurse flipped off the overhead light and exited the room.

The dark room was filled with the sound of crunching plastic as Sam resumed his contorted position on the couch. "You know what, G? I bet you're the only patient in this hospital that is so stubborn, even his kidneys are non-compliant."

"Would you just not bring that up again?"

"I'm just sayin'."

"Saaam?"

Over the next two hours, Callen's breathing became more labored and Sam could hear him attempting to stifle his groans. _Why would someone opt to lay there in pain when relief is available?_ Sam wondered if anyone understood what made G Callen tick. He didn't.

It was now 1:30 am and Callen was still in obvious discomfort. Sam was considering rolling him up in a sheet and forcing him to take the medicine. Then he noticed something was off; well, even more off than G being restless and in pain.

Sam walked to the other side of the hospital bed and turned on the light. Callen's forehead and the top of his gown were wet with perspiration. His eyes were open, but unfocused. The restless squirming had returned and his breaths were coming in shallow pants. Sam pressed the call button.

Landon arrived within minutes to find a concerned Sam standing beside the bed, his palm gently resting on top of the patient's head. Sam stepped back so that the nurse could check Callen's pulse, blood pressure, and temperature. Landon sighed when he recorded the thermometer read-out.

"His fever's up again, isn't it?" Sam asked.

The nurse looked at Sam and nodded. "I don't understand why it spiked again. I'm going to get him something for the fever and see what's ordered for pain."

Sam hated this feeling of helplessness. He stood over his feverish friend who was weakly moving beneath the white sheet. The events from the past few days had overtaxed Callen's body and, now, the return of the high fever was inflicting another blow.

Landon soon returned with two syringes.

Even in his state of delirium, Callen noticed. He looked up at Sam and shook his head.

"G. He's going to give you something to bring your fever down and help you rest."

Callen's eyes pleaded. "No," he whispered.

The image of Callen in the emergency room, pleading with them to not sedate him, flashed into Sam's mind. He could still recall Callen begging him to make them stop. Sam knew he had had to allow them to administer the injection. But the look of betrayal in G's eyes had almost brought Sam to his knees.

Callen shook his head and repeated his soft plea. "No."

Landon leaned over the bed and caught Callen's gaze. "This is a different medication than before. This goes straight into your IV. I don't even have to stick you."

The patient was not persuaded. He looked back over at Sam. "No more medicine… Don't make me."

Sam lowered his voice. "You've been tossing and turning all night. The doctor said you need to rest, or you're not going to get better."

Frustrated tears pooled in Callen's eyes. "Sam… when I take it… I can't wake up… I can't make them stop… Please… Don't let them…"

Sam understood; G was afraid of the nightmares. Seeing his partner so vulnerable and scared was gut-wrenching. The man who lay before him was not the quick-witted, daredevil (and bullheaded) agent that he had been privileged to work with for the past several years. This man was confused and afraid; frightened by the past that haunted him each time he tried to rest.

Sam leaned over the rail of the bed and placed his hand on Callen's upper chest. "I'll tell you what. Take the medicine and I'll sit right here. If you start having a bad dream, if you even start to stir, I'll wake you up."

Callen stilled and stared into the eyes of his loyal partner.

"You have my word," Sam assured him quietly. "I'll stay right here 'til you wake up."

Callen shut his eyes, trying to calm his pounding heart and erratic breathing.

Sam traded a glance with Landon. They both remained patient and still.

When G opened his dull eyes, he tiredly eyed the syringes in the nurse's hand, looked back up at Sam, then to Landon. Callen swallowed hard and then gave them a hesitant nod.

Sam was pleased that, within five minutes of Landon administering the fever reducer and pain medication through the IV line, Callen drifted off to sleep.


	2. Mother Hen Epidemic

Chapter 2: Mother Hen Epidemic

Sam positioned himself in the chair next to the bed. He stood guard all night, as promised, waking Callen twice during the early morning hours when it appeared he was having a nightmare.

By the time Monica was back on duty at 7:00 am, Callen's temperature was close to normal and he was resting more comfortably.

Sam stood up and stretched the kinks out of his back. The morning sun was now filtering in through the closed blinds and Sam noted how pale Callen was. The black eye he had received during the Homeland Security op was beginning to fade, and the scrapes and cuts to his face and arms were healing.

But then Sam caught a glimpse of the bruises on Callen's arms; the ones he had put there himself, two days ago, when he had restrained his disoriented, combative partner in the parking lot. It seemed that Callen had no recollection of this incident. But Sam remembered. He had twisted Callen's arms behind his back, unaware that he had just sustained a broken wrist in a fall. He could still feel G's body go limp beneath him, losing consciousness from the pain when Sam had forced him face-down into the pavement.

A lump formed in Sam's dry throat. He pictured Callen lying on the headquarters' floor after they had carried him back to the office. Callen had regained consciousness for only a few seconds, but the frightened look on his face was still etched in Sam's mind; G was more terrified than Sam had ever seen him. Callen had made a feeble attempt to scoot away, afraid that Sam was going to hurt him again.

Guilt suddenly came crashing down on Sam and he sank back down into his chair. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the negative flashbacks. He expected Hetty and the others to arrive shortly and he needed to pull himself together before they got to Callen's room. He had to be strong; for the team—for G.

Kensi and Deeks reached the hospital around 8:00 and found their Senior Agent sleeping and Sam sitting next to the bed.

"Morning, Sam," Kensi greeted, keeping her voice quiet. "You sleep at all?"

"Enough." The big agent rose from his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm surprised you two beat the 'little ninja mother hen' to the hospital this morning."

"Oh, we didn't," Kensi said. "We just passed her. She's down at the nurses' station getting a report on Callen's condition."

"More like interrogating the staff," Deeks corrected, also keeping his voice volume quieter than normal.

Just then, the 'little ninja mother hen' entered the room. She joined Kensi and Deeks at the bedside. Hetty studied Callen for a moment and it was apparent she was not pleased. He was still too pale and too weak to suit her. "Mr. Hanna," Hetty said softly. "The nurses informed me that you had a rather turbulent night."

Sam looked down at Callen and let out a breath. "He was in a lot of pain. And his fever went up again. It took some persuasion, but he finally let them give something to help him sleep."

"Persuasion? I'm not going to find more injuries on my Senior Agent, am I?"

Sam glanced down at the bruises he had left on Callen's arms. He knew Hetty meant no harm, but her words caused a sudden pang of guilt in his stomach. He looked up at Hetty and forced a smile.

"Mr. Hanna. You look exhausted. It's time for you to go home and get some rest. And you need to eat a good meal while you are away."

"I can't leave."

"You're going to end up in a hospital bed yourself if you don't start taking better care of yourself. Go home."

"Hetty. I told him I'd stay."

"Mr. Hanna. That was not a suggestion." Hetty turned toward Deeks and Kensi. "Mr. Callen no longer requires protection, but I would prefer for someone to remain with him. Would either one of you be so kind as to sit with him in Sam's absence?"

"Kensi stayed while Sam went home last time," Deeks said, looking at Hetty. "So I guess it's my turn."

"Hetty. You don't understand," Sam protested. "I can't leave. I told G I'd stay right beside him and wake him up if he had a nightmare. I gave him my word."

"Aahh… The persuasion you referred to."

Sam looked down at his partner and nodded.

As if on cue, Callen shifted his position and then winced. The groan that followed was barely audible.

Hetty knew there was no threat big enough to force Sam to leave his partner's side. He had made a promise and was not going to budge. But Sam, no matter how big and strong he might be, still needed a healthy meal and proper sleep.

Hetty pursed her lips and brought her index finger to her chin. "I see… How long do you think it will be until the medication wears off?"

Sam didn't hesitate in answering, "It's been a little more than six hours. It shouldn't be too much longer."

"Then I'll leave Mr. Deeks with you. As soon as your partner is awake and oriented, you will go home. And you are not to return until you have had at least eight hours sleep. Do I make myself clear?"

Sam looked away and let out a quick breath.

"Mr. Hanna?"

"Yes, Hetty. I understand."

"Good… Miss Blye, we'll leave your vehicle for Mr. Deeks in case his services are needed on a case. You can ride with me to the office."

While passing her keys to her partner, Kensi and Deeks exchanged wide-eyed expressions that said 'help me.'

Kensi had never had the 'privilege' of being a passenger in her Operations Manager's car and was not looking forward to the awkward ride to the office. Then, suddenly, she got a mental picture of Hetty driving with the top down on the car, wearing little driving gloves, goggles, and a scarf. Kensi had to clear her throat to keep from laughing out loud.

Deeks was finding no humor in the uncomfortable assignment he had practically volunteered for. He was being placed on babysitting/nursing duty for a federal agent who happened to be his team leader. He assumed Hetty was leaving someone with Callen around the clock so that he would not give the hospital staff too much grief. But very few people were ever successful in getting G Callen to do something he didn't really want to do.

The little lady in charge had one final instruction before she and Kensi left the hospital room. "Oh. And Mr. Deeks, it is imperative that you force fluids when he is awake. If he needs a little encouragement, simply remind him that he may be able to avoid a very unpleasant procedure that is scheduled for later today."

With the women now gone, Deeks stood with his mouth gaped open. "What?... They're going to… if… he doesn't pee?"

Sam nodded.

"While I'm here?" he whined.

"Yes, Deeks. And if you know what's good for you, you won't mention the 'unpleasant procedure' to him. Just make sure he drinks a lot of water and juice."

Deeks took a seat on the vinyl couch, peered over at Callen, and shuddered.

Hetty and Kensi had been gone for about forty-five minutes when Callen began to move.

It took G a little longer than usual to force his heavy eyelids open. But when he finally did, there sat his partner as promised.

Sam crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "It's about time. I was about to start poking you with a stick to see if you were still alive."

"What time is it?" Callen asked, his voice sounding tired and raw.

Sam looked at his watch. "It's 9:17."

"What day is it?"

"Friday."

Callen's eyes narrowed. He brought up a hand and rubbed his forehead as if trying to wipe away the confusion.

Sam pushed up from his chair and made his way around to the other side of the bed. After raising the head of the bed, he poured some water into a Styrofoam cup, placed a straw in it, and offered it to Callen. Sam was surprised when G took it without protest, but was not surprised when he tried to give it back after only two sips.

"Finish it."

Callen looked down and frowned at the contents of the cup.

"Would you rather have some juice?" Sam asked pointedly.

"Maybe."

"Drink that and I'll see if I can find you some.

Callen took another drink of water and then shifted his position slightly. "When can I get out of here?"

"No more questions till you finish your water."

"What… Am I three?"

"That was another question."

Callen rolled his eyes and resumed drinking slowly from the straw.

Suddenly, there was the chime of a cell phone coming from the corner of the room. Callen stretched his neck so that he could peer around his partner's huge form. There sat their LAPD liaison, studying his phone. Callen had not even noticed Deeks was in the room until then.

Almost immediately, Sam's message alert sounded as well. He and Deeks had received the same text from H. Lange: _Gentlemen. I am fairly certain that Mr. Callen is awake by now. If he IS, and I find out Mr. Hanna is still present, heads WILL roll. (Please note that I did not attach the laughing out loud abbreviation or a smiley face symbol to my previous statement.) Mr. Hanna, remember my orders. Go eat a good meal and get some sleep. Now move it!_

Sam shook his head. "How does she do that?"

Deeks continued to stare at his phone in disbelief. "Heads?... Plural?... Why is mine going to roll? I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Ignoring the whining detective, Sam pocketed his phone, placed both hands on the top of the bed rail, and leaned in a little closer to Callen. "Look, G. I've got to go for a while." He took the empty cup from Callen and placed it on the bedside table. "Deeks is going to stay with you till I get back."

"Guys. I don't need a babysitter. I'm fine—really."

"Not my call, G."

Callen lowered his eyes and turned his head away from Sam. "Hetty," he said under his breath.

Sam knew he had struck a nerve. His partner was frustrated, maybe even embarrassed, at the thought of having to be looked after. Deeks was not nearly as experienced at reading Callen, but the blonde sensed it, too.

Sam hoped he could restore a bit of his friend's dignity before leaving. "Yeah, Hetty goes a little overboard with the 'mother hen' thing. She just sent me a text, threatening to do bodily harm if I don't go get something to eat and sleep for at least eight hours."

Callen looked up at Sam with a weak smile. "A tiny mother hen, who happens to be trained in the use of every weapon known to man."

Sam chuckled and pushed himself up straight. "I'll see you later. Don't give them trouble or I'll have to kick your skinny butt when I get back." Before he exited the room, he turned to Deeks. "Let's go see if we can find some juice."

Deeks followed Sam to the nurses' station, suspecting that finding juice was just a tactic to speak to him alone; he was right.

Monica retrieved two little plastic containers of apple juice, as requested, and handed them to Sam. Sam, in turn, placed the foil-covered containers in Deeks' hands. "Make sure he drinks these. And get him to drink some more water. There's a clipboard on the table next to the bed. They need us to log how many ounces he drinks on the intake log. Got it?"

"Got it."

"And don't ask him if he needs help with something. He'll look you right in the eye and say he can do it, even if he can't. If you think he needs help, just do it. But don't coddle him."

"Got it. Hydrate. Log. No coddling."

Sam, seemingly unshaken by Deeks' echoing, paused and looked in the direction of Callen's room. "And remember, he's in a lot of pain. He's just really good at hiding it until he gets tired or his fever goes up."

Deeks nodded.

"And keep the bed rails up. If the nurses give him something to help him sleep, he could fall out of the bed. And when he's not drugged, he's likely to try to get up on his own."

Deeks shook his head and smiled.

"What?" Sam huffed.

"You actually refer to Hetty as a mother hen?"

"Just go give him the juice."

Sam turned on his heel and made his way toward the elevators, leaving Deeks standing there with two containers of juice and a smile on his face.

Deeks' smile disappeared when he opened the door to Callen's room, realizing that he was now taking over Sam's roll as caregiver. _Ginormous shoes to fill._ Deeks took a deep breath and entered the room.

"They only had apple," he informed Callen while handing him one of the containers. "The nurse sent you two for now."

Callen held the container with his left hand and studied it for a moment. In an attempt to peel back the foil cover, he used his other hand to pinch the little tab on the side. G flinched and drew back his right hand.

Deeks thought, at first, that the pain was caused by the IV needle in Callen's hand. Then he remembered that Callen's wrist was fractured and that the doctor was waiting until the IV was removed to cast it.

"Can I help you with that?" _What did Sam just say about asking if he needed help?_

"No. I've got it."

_What a surprise._

Callen switched the juice to his right hand and began pulling on the rim of the foil top. But he lacked the grip in his right hand to secure the container and let out a frustrated sigh.

Remembering Sam's advice, (just a little bit too late), Deeks pulled the key ring out of his pocket, used one of his keys to punch a hole in top of the container, and then stuck a straw in it.

Callen looked up at Deeks with an expression that resembled bashfulness. "Thanks."

Deeks was taken aback by the agent's vulnerable demeanor. He knew that, as awkward as this arrangement was for him, it must be much more uncomfortable for Callen.

Deeks readied the next juice container and extended it to Callen when he had finished with the first one.

Callen responded with a questioning look, but then took it and began drinking slowly.

A little while later, a nurses' aide trudged into the room, went into the bathroom and began running water. Within minutes, another aide arrived with a set of folded sheets and white towels draped over her arm. Without a word, she jerked the privacy curtain so that it now surrounded the bed. The other aide came out of the bathroom carrying a plastic basin filled with soapy water. Detecting the non-caring attitudes of these two women, Deeks was almost sorry that the case had been solved; the limitations of who was allowed in Callen's room had been lifted.

Deeks could hear Callen's quiet protest through the curtain. "I can do this." Deeks heard the agent take in a quick breath. "I don't need any help." A hiss and a few soft grunts and groans followed. "I can do it myself… Please."

Then a faint whimper came from behind the curtain. Deeks had heard all he could stand. Upset, he stepped into the hall and leaned against the wall. His stomach was in knots. He guessed that if he was this angry over the way they were 'manhandling' Callen, Sam would be going all Kung Fu on them if he were here.

Monica was making rounds and spotted the blonde detective standing outside the patient's room. She immediately noticed he wasn't wearing his usual playful smile. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"They're giving him a bath."

"You shouldn't have to stand out here. They're supposed to pull the curtain. It's protocol."

"Oh, they did. It's just…" Deeks looked up at the nurse sheepishly.

"What's wrong?"

"Maybe they don't know everything he's been through, but I think they're being a little bit too rough. I mean… I think they're hurting him."

That's all Monica needed to hear. She marched into the room to investigate.

Deeks' chin dropped to his chest. _I can't believe I just did that. The mother hen thing is apparently contagious!_

Soon after, the door opened and two grumpy nurses' aides filed past Deeks, but not without shooting him dirty looks. Deeks gladly took the looks, knowing they would no longer be hurting Callen.

A few minutes later, Monica stuck her head out the door. "You can come in and have a seat."

Deeks hesitated, but entered and sat down in the corner of the room.

He listened as Monica addressed the patient from the other side of the privacy curtain. "I'm really sorry. They have been written up before for being rude to patents. I'll make sure you don't have to deal with them anymore… Let's try this again… Here are some clean washcloths and towels. I've warmed up the water. Do as much of this as you can and if you need help with anything, let me know when I get back. I'll bring someone with me and we'll get your bed changed too."

Over the next ten minutes or so, Deeks heard the sound of sloshing water, mixed in with some grunts and groans from Callen as he would reposition himself. Even though the movements were causing Callen discomfort, it was obviously much more tolerable than having someone roughly push and tug on his sore body.

Monica returned a while later with another nurse. She retrieved some of the hygiene items from the bag that Hetty had sent and set the bedside tray up so that Callen could brush his teeth. After putting a fresh gown on the patient, they carefully rolled him to his side and methodically replaced the sheets with clean ones.

When the curtain was pulled open and secured to the wall, Deeks could see that Callen was exhausted. His head was turned away from the door and he was staring blankly at the window blinds. Maybe the look was as much defeat as fatigue.

Monica emptied the basin, tidied up the area and returned to the bedside. "Are you comfortable? Is there anything you need?"

Callen looked up at her with tired eyes. "Pants," he whispered.

"Pardon me?"

"Could I have some pants?"

"Oh… Let me check what Miss Lange packed for you." Monica went to the closet and returned to the bedside holding a pair of boxers in one hand and lightweight flannel pajama bottoms in the other. "Which do you prefer?"

Callen signaled with his eyes, indicating the pajama pants, and the nurses assisted him in putting them on.

Monica pulled the sheet up to cover Callen. "We're going to disregard the turning schedule for now," she said, raising the head of the bed. "It will make it much easier for you to drink if we leave you on your back for the time being. Oh, and they should be delivering lunch trays in just a little while. If you need anything at all, just press the call button." The nurse looked over at Deeks and tapped the top of the water pitcher before exiting the room.

He got her message loud and clear. _Force fluids. I get it already!_


	3. Nurse Marty

Chapter 3: Nurse Marty

With Nurse Monica gone, Callen seemed to let his guard down, allowing his tired eyes to gaze at the far wall. Deeks gave him a few minutes of peace and silence filled the hospital room.

Marty took a few moments to check his e-mail on his phone. He was relieved that neither Hetty nor Sam had sent him any additional instructions. Their original instructions were still resonating in his mind, though, and Monica had just echoed them. He exhaled quietly, trying not to be obnoxious to the patient who was just as lost in his own thoughts. Deeks switched between five apps on his phone, hoping to eat up a few more minutes, but managing only to distract himself for another 60 seconds. Finally, he put his phone back in his pocket. He refilled the Styrofoam cup and got up to stand by the bedside, waiting silently for Callen to take it.

Callen stirred from his thoughts, glanced up at Marty briefly, and then looked down at the sheet that covered him, keeping his face unreadable.

"Come on, Callen," Deeks encouraged quietly. "You've got to keep drinking. Sam's gonna check that fluid intake log when he gets back and you're making me look bad."

Without making eye contact, Callen reached up with a shaky left hand, accepted the cup, and began drinking.

Deeks smiled, quite pleased with himself. He had managed to get eight more ounces down Callen with minimal persuasion. The process seemed slow and Deeks was sure that, by now, Callen considered him to be a total nuisance. But at least Deeks was no longer in fear of being body-slammed by the huge ex-SEAL for not adequately hydrating his partner.

Suddenly, the door opened and a lunch tray was unceremoniously plopped down on the portable bedside table, with the deliverer gone within seconds.

"Really?" Deeks said, gazing curiously at the now closed door. "Where do they find these people?"

Deeks rolled the table to the bedside, pursing his lips, thinking. He needed to place the table in front of Callen, but realized it would not clear the side rail. He spotted a lever on the back edge of the table and figured this must be what raised and lowered the contraption—but no—instead, he inadvertently slid the tabletop forward, revealing a hidden compartment inside the table, and almost launched the lunch tray onto Callen in the process. Deeks' eyes widened as he quickly pinned the tray down and kept it from spilling. He hesitated to be sure that the tray wasn't going anywhere.

"Okay. So, that wasn't it," he muttered. Marty glanced up to see Callen watching him, with what appeared to be some degree of amusement. He focused back on the table.

Searching, Deeks found a lever at the end of the tray. "Ah Ha." _I am a highly trained detective, after all—and have a law degree… No piece of hospital equipment is going to do me in_. He pressed the lever, raising the table to its highest point so it cleared the bedrail, and rolled the table to where it was over Callen's lap.

"There… Wait… This isn't right." Deeks furrowed his brow. "That's way too high." There was no way a patient would be able to eat from this height; not without reaching up and raking the food onto their head. Now, he was sure he was seeing a look of amusement on Callen's face. He gave him his own look back. "What?... I haven't had nearly as much hospital experience as you."

"I think you have to lower the rail," Callen said, a hint of a smile peeking through his poker face.

Deeks sighed. The detective/lawyer rolled the table out of the way and knelt down to begin his skirmish with the bedrail.

After a couple of minutes, Callen finally took pity on his younger colleague and reached over to show Deeks how to lower the rail. But when he attempted to press one of the release buttons, he immediately jerked his right hand back, stifling a yelp.

Callen stared down at his hand with narrowed eyes, wondering why that had hurt so badly.

Marty, kneeling next to the bedrail, glanced from Callen's hand to his confused eyes, and frowned. _That had to smart._ "I don't think they want you to use that broken wrist just yet," he explained with a playful warning tone.

Callen continued to focus on his right hand, but now with an even more puzzled expression. "My wrist is broken?"

"Yeah," Deeks replied, finally releasing and lowering the rail. Satisfied, he stood up.

"How?"

Deeks was a bit shaken by the question. Not wanting to take Callen through the traumatic events of the past few days, he opted to sidestep the issue. "I think you fell, or something," he replied simply, praying he wouldn't press the matter.

It seemed to appease Callen for the moment and Marty let out a thankful breath of air. After all, he had only been assigned to temporary nursing duties and really hoped to leave all the emotional stuff for those who were much more qualified to handle Callen… namely Sam and Hetty.

The bed rail out of the way and the tray table successfully lowered into position, Deeks moved the tray in front of Callen.

Callen glanced up at Deeks with a slight smirk. "I'm not hungry."

"Oh no, you don't, Special Agent Callen," Deeks objected playfully stern. "After all I went through? You're going to eat." He emphasized his point by dramatically lifting the metal cover from the lunch plate.

Suddenly, hospital food aroma permeated the air, not smelling appeasing, at all.

Callen, hit with a wave of nausea, shut his eyes, turned his head, and grimaced.

"Sorry. Sorry." Deeks slammed the metal cover over the plate and rolled the table as far away as he was able to. _It would have made me sick, too. Nasty._

While standing helplessly, waiting for Callen's nausea to pass, Marty came to terms with the fact that the 'mother hen thing' was inevitable. It just wasn't natural for the team to see their lead agent in this defenseless state. Still, he was pleased with the fact that his degree of protectiveness came nowhere near Sam's level on the 'nurturing scale.' If the big guy were here right now, he would be hovering right over the patient. Marty found that he had, at least, stepped back a couple of feet to hover.

When he was sure Callen's queasiness had passed, he began urging him to drink, once again.

Within the next two hours, G had asked for the time and what day it was twice, and had consumed a glass of iced tea from the lunch tray, another apple juice, and two cups of water. Deeks was successfully hydrating the patient, logging every ounce, and all without any overt coddling. _Sam would be so proud._

Callen suddenly shifted in the bed. His expression changed to something that resembled mild distress. He looked over at Deeks for a brief moment and then back down to the bed sheets.

Deeks noticed from the magazine he was flipping through, watching everything like a detective; not looking like he was watching. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, so he pretended he hadn't seen anything, just in case.

About thirty seconds later, the process repeated itself; repositioning and a glance that clearly told Deeks something was not quite right.

Marty lowered the magazine. "You need something?"

Callen hesitated before looking up at Deeks. "I need to go to the bathroom."

What Deeks really wanted to say was '_Yay! No unpleasant procedure!'_ But what he actually said was, "Oh. I'll go get the nurse." He put the magazine to the side.

Before he could stand up, Callen disagreed. "Just help me lower the rail and I can get up and go on my own."

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea. You see…"

"If you'll just lower the rail… I can do the rest."

"Well, Sam said you weren't supposed to get up so I'll just go get…" Marty stood awkwardly.

"I don't need help. I've been taking care of myself longer than you've been alive."

Deeks pulled back a little, trying not to take Callen's words personally as Callen reached for the rail to his left.

Unable to manipulate both release-buttons with just one hand, Callen's frustration level escalated. He scowled at the younger detective. "Deeks. Just lower the rail!"

Callen tried to sit up. Immediately, a bolt of pain in his side brought him back down, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw against the agony.

Deeks took a half-step away. _Not good._

When Callen's breathing had evened out, he opened his eyes and swallowed hard. "Deeks, stop messing around and just lower the rail," he ordered quietly, not making eye contact, but sounding furious.

_Yep. Not good at all._ Marty pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial number four.

Callen saw his motion and turned, looking sharply at Deeks. "What are you doing?"

Callen was given the signal to 'hold on' by an index finger held in the air.

"Deeks?"

Deeks ducked into the bathroom just as a sleepy, and grumpy Sam answered.

"_This better be important."_

"It is," Marty said, keeping his voice down. "Callen needs to pee."

"_Call the nurse."_

"But he keeps insisting I lower the rail and let him get up."

"_You sound like you're in a cave. Are you hiding in the bathroom?"_

"Uh… no?"

"_Yeah, right,"_ Sam snorted tiredly. _"Deeks. Here's what you're gonna do. Hang up the phone. Go down to the nurses' station. Tell them G needs to go to the bathroom."_

"He's not going to be too happy with me," Deeks protested.

"_Deeks. He's never happy with you."_

Marty hesitated, tilting his head to the side, acknowledging that it was true, sadly. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "But, Sam. He's really getting ticked off."

Sam exhaled. _"Is he giving you the look; the one just before he goes off on a suspect in the interrogation room?"_

The detective leaned his head out and peered around the bathroom door. He found Callen glaring daggers at him. Marty quickly ducked back into the bathroom. "Yeah," he confirmed lowly. "That's the one. He's even got that 'little crease between his eyes thing' going on."

"_Deeks. He can't hurt you. The condition he's in, Nell would beat him in a wrestling match."_

"But… he's… just so…"

"_So Callen?"_

"Yeah."

"_Deeks. Go. Get. The nurse. I'm hanging up now."_

"Sam… Sam?" Deeks heard his phone beep softly to indicate it had disconnected. Panic grew in his chest. _Crap. On my own._

Realizing that getting the nurse was his only choice, Deeks left the bathroom and darted out the door as quickly as possible, not even glancing in Callen's direction. He made his way to the nurses' station to find Nurse Monica doing paperwork.

After she'd heard the situation, Monica retrieved a specimen container from the supply closet and headed to the room. Deeks followed her, feeling like a traitor. (He was not about to re-enter the room without backup.)

There sat Callen, still glaring at him, as he followed the nurse. Marty stopped just inside the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. _Why couldn't the bathroom thing have happened on Sam's watch?_

The nurse headed into the bathroom.

Callen's expression changed from peeved to near panic when she stepped out of the bathroom with a urinal in hand.

"I don't need that. I just need to get up."

"I'm sorry. But even if you were strong enough to get up, you would still need to use this. We have to get an output measurement."

Callen frowned and turned to face the window, just before the privacy curtain was pulled.

Deeks leaned against the wall by the door, and wondered if Callen would ever forgive him. His cell phone chimed quietly, surprising him. He brought it out of his pocket and resisted a laugh when he saw who it was.

Sam had texted one word: _And?_

Marty couldn't help but grin. The "mother hen thing" apparently worked even when one was half-asleep. He texted back exactly what Sam needed to hear.

_Got the nurse. We're good._


	4. Nurse Anna

Chapter 4 – Nurse Anna

Deeks sat across from Callen's hospital bed. He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. The detective munched on cheese crackers and, slowly, turned the pages of the magazine he was, once again, pretending to read. He didn't know if the Senior Agent was still ticked off at him for not lowering the bed rail so he could get up to go to the bathroom, or if he was just wearing his trademark, unreadable expression. Callen's head remained turned, facing away from the door, and he'd been staring at the wall for the past ten minutes.

Marty turned another page, peering inconspicuously over the top of the magazine, a stealthy surveillance technique he had perfected from years of practice. _Wait. Is Callen even blinking? _

"You know, Deeks," Callen said hoarsely, still gazing blankly at the wall, "that magazine would be much more interesting if you were holding it right side up."

_Busted! So much for 'stealthiness.' _Who was he kidding, anyway? Special Agent G Callen knew all the tricks of the trade—probably was the originator of some of them. Deeks tossed his magazine prop onto the couch next to him, stood up, and walked to side of the bed.

Callen turned his head slowly and his blue eyes met those of the detective who had been 'spying' on him.

Marty narrowed his eyes. _Callen doesn't look angry; he looks tired… maybe even defeated_.

"Deeks, I'll be okay up here without a sitter. You don't need to stay."

"Really?" Deeks dug the car keys out of his pocket and picked up a container of juice from the table next to the head of the bed. "Then who would do this for you?" he asked, using exaggerated movements to punch a hole in the top of the container and insert a straw. "Huh?"

Callen blinked slowly up at Deeks and then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, amused.

Deeks handed the juice to the patient. "Your cranberry beverage, Sir."

Callen took it and looked away, beginning to sip on it with an air of nonchalance.

The detective resisted a small smile as he took a step closer to the small table and picked up the metal intake clipboard. Sam would be impressed by his skills in the area of hydrating Callen, he was certain. He used the included pen to write the latest drink type and ounces down.

Callen was about halfway finished with his 'beverage' when Marty lost his grip on the heavy clipboard and accidentally dropped it. It hit the tile floor with a loud crash, causing Callen to startle and choke on the liquid he was about to swallow. The coughing that ensued was obviously very painful, Callen's hand going to his side.

Deeks went into panic mode. He reached up with both hands and grabbed two fists full of his own blonde curls. "Sorry! Sorry. Sorry," he said, guiltily, wincing at the pain he had caused. Marty took the leftover drink from the agent's shaky grasp, and watched helplessly while Callen spent the next couple of minutes doubled over, trying to stifle his coughs.

The coughing finally subsided.

Callen slowly sat up, closed his eyes in relief, and took short, shallow breaths.

"I'm really, really sorry," Deeks reiterated, picking up a napkin from a nearby table and handing it to Callen.

Callen wiped the sticky, pink liquid from his chin and neck, looked up at Marty with watery eyes, breathing hard. "It's okay, Deeks... I'm good."

"Is there anything I can do? Anything you need?"

"Yeah," Callen replied softly. "Find my clothes so I can get out of this place."

Deeks bit his lip for a moment. "Uhhh... Anything that doesn't involve helping you escape?"

Callen shook his head and closed his tired eyes.

Marty pulled the nearby chair a bit closer to Callen's right side, somehow managing to do it quietly, and sat down to watch and wait.

Nurse Monica entered the room a few minutes later. Her eyes immediately went to the exhausted blue eyes of the patient who looked over at her. "Have you slept at all today?" she asked him quietly.

"I think so... It all sort of runs together." Callen turned to Deeks. "What day is this?"

"It's Friday," Marty responded, trying not to be worried by the fact that this was the fourth time he had been asked this question. He was certain that Callen was extremely tired. "And, no, you haven't slept today."

Monica stepped a little closer to Callen. "I know you don't like taking meds, but you need to rest. I'll leave a note in the chart, asking Dr. Lee if he can prescribe something that isn't as strong. He'll be making rounds this evening after the clinic closes... Also, I wanted to let you know that our weekend rotation is about to begin and you'll have a new nurse at shift change."

Callen turned to face the window and his breath rate increased slightly.

Deeks and Monica exchanged worried glances. After his bad experience with the two nurses' aides earlier today, it was not surprising that Callen was apprehensive about having another new face in his room.

"You'll like Anna," Monica assured. "I personally requested her. She's young, but very good—a favorite with our patients. Landon comes on at seven in the morning. If you have any complaints, let him know and I'll take care of it... Okay?"

Without a word, Callen gave her a quick glance that affirmed he understood.

"Good. Anna will be in to meet you as soon as she takes report." The nurse smiled at Deeks and left the room.

Callen bent his left knee and repositioned himself in bed. Marty was concerned by the grimace and the moan that followed; Callen was quickly losing the ability to school his emotions. Deeks hoped that either Callen would fall asleep, or that reinforcements—namely Hetty or Sam—would show up soon.

A few minutes after 3:00, a young, bubbly nurse, wearing colorful Disney character scrubs, entered the room. Except for the long, blonde ponytail, she looked a lot like Nell.

The nurse glanced at Deeks and made her way to Callen. "Hi. I'm Anna. I'll be taking care of you for the next sixteen hours." She laid a clipboard and a small IV bag on the bedside table and then looked down at her shirt. "I apologize for the scrubs. I was scheduled to work pediatrics—they reassigned me when I got here."

Anna picked up the blood pressure cuff and placed it on Callen's arm. "I need to check your vitals, hang this antibiotic piggy-back, and then you... need to get a little sleep before the supper trays come—Monica's orders."

Callen peered drowsily up at the nurse and Deeks was sure he saw a slight smile form on the Senior Agent's face. Marty shook his head. Callen was apparently impressed by the little nurse. She was so young and energetic, yet self-assured and proficient—_who __wouldn't__ be mesmerized?_

Anna recorded Callen's blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, and picked up the IV bag. "As soon as I get this started, we need to see about getting you turned... Monica said you've been on your back all day."

The nurse removed the empty IV bag, attached and hung the new one, and made adjustments to the IV pump. When she checked the needle placement in the Callen's hand, she noticed the small bruises that had resulted from the multiple attempts to find a vein for the IV. She glanced across and saw the same bruising pattern on the patient's left arm.

"I see they had a time getting an IV started. I'd have had a meltdown by the second stick. I sooo hate needles."

Callen looked up at Anna and his smile grew.

"Really?" Deeks piped up. "A nurse who hates needles? Isn't that like... an oxymoron?"

Anna looked at the blonde who was sitting behind her. "Yeah. My parents thought I was crazy when I told them I wanted to become an RN. But my husband encouraged me to go for it. He thinks my 'little hang-up' helps me relate to my patients better."

Marty furrowed his brow in surprise. "You're married? You don't even look old enough to drive."

"I hear that a lot," the nurse said with a smile, before turning back around to address the patient. "Okay. Now, to get you off your back… You prefer the left side?"

Callen's small smile disappeared. "Yes."

Anna pulled back the sheet and lowered the head of the bed. "How much help do you need?"

"I can do it." Callen looked to his left, away from Deeks and Anna, and reached for the metal rail.

Deeks shot up and made his way to where the nurse was standing.

The nurse looked to the side, giving Marty a questioning look.

Deeks responded by widening his eyes at her and shaking his head.

"I'll tell you what," Anna said, while Callen was in the process of tightening his grip of the rail, "let's turn you with the draw sheet. I don't want you to strain yourself and not be able to rest."

Callen looked as though he wanted to protest, but just didn't have the strength. He let go of the rail, lowered his arm to the mattress, and gazed blankly at the wall in front of him.

Deeks walked around to the opposite side of the bed and looked up at the nurse. "Tell me what you need me to do."

"Let's lower the side rails, first."

Deeks fumbled, just for a moment, with the release buttons, but then successfully lowered the rail. He was grateful he had already practiced this little maneuver, without the nurse being present.

"Alright, with your left hand, grab the edge of the draw sheet, just below his hips." Anna demonstrated on her side and Deeks copied. "Now, grab the sheet with your other hand, just at his shoulders." Deeks mimicked her movements. "Now, work your hands toward him, gathering up the sheet as you go... That's it. On the count of three, we're going to bring him over to my side a little. Don't drag him. Lift him just enough to clear the bed... Ready?... One, two, three."

Callen was gently lifted, moved to his right, and lowered to the mattress. The nurse placed a pillow between the patient's knees and continued with her instructions to Deeks. "Now, reach across him and grasp the edge of the sheet that's in front of me, at his hips and shoulders, and slowly pull toward you."

Marty was a little apprehensive about this step. No matter how gently he turned Callen, he figured it was going to cause some degree of discomfort—he figured right. About halfway through the turn, Callen winced and groaned.

"Sorry, man," Deeks apologized. Callen seemed so focused on maintaining his composure that Marty doubted he heard his apology.

"I know this is rough," Anna consoled, completely picking up on how painful this was for her patient. "I'll try to make you more comfortable. Just hang in there for a couple of hours."

Callen licked his dry lips and nodded.

Nurse Anna motioned for Marty to place a hand on Callen's upper arm to keep him in place.

Deeks did what she wanted, realizing soon after that this was probably going to count as "coddling" to Callen, who didn't like to be touched. He looked at Anna and silently begged that she hurry.

While Deeks held Callen on his side, the nurse smoothed out the draw sheet and adjusted the pillow that was beneath the side of Callen's head.

Catching the tenseness between the two men, Anna soothed smoothly, explaining, "He's going to hold you there while I untie your gown… It's sort of in a bind."

Her words helped a little, causing Deeks to take a quiet, deep breath. Callen didn't make a move to acknowledge her.

Anna pulled on the ends of the gown ties, unfastening them, and noticed that one of the knots had left a red indention between the patient's neck and right shoulder blade. She frowned, and gently massaged the reddened area, causing Callen to close his eyes and relax down into the mattress.

Deeks could not help a small smile at his Senior Agent's response. With all the pulling and poking and prodding Callen had endured the past few days, a little positive human touch seemed to be what he needed right now.

Anna was pleased that her patient was relaxing, so she didn't stop, hoping that he might fall off to sleep. Something caught her eye as she rubbed his back. She leaned in closer and noticed that there was a scar in the exact spot where the gown tie had left a mark—_a bullet wound?_ It caught her off-guard. Slowing her massaging, she looked up at Deeks with narrowed eyes. "Is this…?" she whispered.

Deeks nodded, understanding.

The nurse peered down at the part of Callen's back that was now exposed. Besides the bruising in the middle of his back, she noticed two more similar scars; one above, and one below the left shoulder blade. She looked up at Deeks with a questioning expression, and held up three fingers with the hand not slowly rubbing Callen's back.

Marty responded by holding up five fingers.

Anna looked down at Callen and drew in a deep breath. _Who __is__ this man?_

The background information on this patient was limited; the nurses had only been told that he was in some type of law enforcement and had been in protective custody until yesterday. But Anna sensed that the battered man, who lay before her, had seen things, and lived through situations, that few people had. The nurse was suddenly hit with a sense of sadness for him. _Snap out of it, Anna Harris! You have a job to do._

The nurse shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. Anna stopped rubbing his back and gently replaced the gown. She placed pillows behind her patient, securing him in a side-lying position, and motioned that Deeks could release his one-handed hold on Callen's upper arm. They raised the side rails quietly. By the time Anna covered Callen with a sheet and a light blanket, he was asleep.

Deeks was still standing at Callen's left side when Kensi and Hetty arrived at 4:45. He reactively put his index finger to his lips. "Shhhh." He made his way around the foot of the bed to where the two women were standing. "This is the first time he's been asleep all day," he said softly. "They want him to rest at least until time to eat supper."

Kensi grinned playfully at her partner, and asked, whispering, "Oh… Was there some male bonding going on while we were away?"

"More than you ever want to know."

Hetty took a seat in the corner, on the vinyl couch. "Has he run any fever today?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Uh… I don't really know," Deeks answered quietly.

Kensi clicked her tongue in mock pity, then scolded in a whisper, "What kind of sitter are you? You're supposed to know these things."

"I was more like a circus act than a sitter; and I don't think Callen likes the circus. At all."

"Oh… so you guys aren't best buds now… how surprising."

"Let me put it this way, if Callen wasn't in such bad shape, I'd be in the next room right now… in traction."

Kensi's next sarcastic jab was interrupted by the door being partially pushed open. She and Marty turned and looked at the door behind them.

Sam stuck his head in. He scanned the room. Seeing only Deeks and Kensi, he assumed the coast was clear. He stepped through the door, confidently strolled toward the younger pair stationed at the bedside, and stopped in his tracks when someone cleared their throat from the corner of the room—_Hetty!_

Sam sighed, his head sagged, and he slowly turned to receive his reprimand.

Hetty tapped her watch. "Mr. Hanna," she said in a forceful whisper. "Did I not give you strict orders to get at least eight hours of sleep before returning?"

"Hetty. I couldn't sleep any longer," Sam quietly protested, shrugging his shoulders in defense. "My house has been like Grand Central Station for the past hour. My family is packing for a trip."

"Oh, I see. So your wife is going to Virginia to help her sister with the new twins. How long do they plan to be gone?"

"Two weeks… Wait. How did you…?" Sam shook his head. "Never mind."

"Well, at any rate, you owe me a couple of hours more of sleep."

Escaping Hetty's glare, Sam picked up the intake log clipboard.

Anna stepped in the room, unnoticed (except by Hetty, who looked at the girl, measuring everything about her in a moment.)

After studying the intake log, Sam looked up at Deeks and nodded his head.

He didn't have to say it out loud; Deeks was sure the ex-SEAL was impressed with his hydrating skills.

Sam placed the clipboard back on the table and turned to Deeks. "So how'd it go, today?"

Kensi playfully punched Marty in the arm. She said lowly, "Oh. Deeks was just telling us how he aggravated the daylights out of Callen while we were gone. Something about Callen wanting to put him in traction?"

Sam put one hand on his hip, cocked his head to side, and looked at the detective with dark, narrowed eyes. "You aggravated him, Deeks?" he asked quietly. "Did you coddle him? I told you not to coddle him."

"No, Sir. I did not coddle. I would never coddle your partner. There was no coddling—at least not by me." Deeks noticed Anna's presence by the door and pointed in her direction. "If any coddling took place, it can be blamed on this woman."

The nurse smiled warmly and stepped further into the room. "Hi. I'm Anna," she said, while reaching to shake Hetty's hand. "You must be Miss Lange. They told me you stopped by the nurses' station a little while ago, when I was passing out meds."

Now certain the young woman was safe, Hetty smiled at her. "Please, call me Hetty. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hetty motioned to Kensi. "This is Special Agent Blye."

The female agent gave the nurse a quick, firm handshake. "Kensi."

Hetty resumed her introductions. "I believe you have already had the privilege of meeting Detective Deeks… And this is Special Agent Sam Hanna."

Sam nodded politely. "Good to meet you."

Callen suddenly flinched, causing a small rustle against the bed sheets, and all eyes went to him.

Still peering over at Callen, Hetty continued, "And the patient, who you probably know as Greg Carter, is Special Agent G Callen."

Callen's body jerked, again. But this time, he began to stir, inhaling through his nose.

Sam hurried around to the side of the bed Callen was facing. He watched intently until his partner opened one eye and squinted up at him.

Everyone saw Sam's demeanor change; he crossed his arms, shifted his weight to one leg, and smirked down at Callen. "So, how bad was it, G… here all day… with Deeks as your nurse?"

Callen searched for Deeks, but could not turn his head far enough to see the detective who was standing behind him. G squinted back up at Sam and replied with a weak, scratchy voice, "Hetty might as well have left me here with a monkey."

"Hey!" Deeks protested. "I'll have you know, I was an excellent caregiver!" Marty made a pouty face, and continued in a lower tone, "I just had some minor mechanical issues, with the equipment… No one left me instruction manuals."

Anna walked to the bedside and was now standing opposite Sam. She placed her tiny hand on Callen's right shoulder. "Let's go ahead and get you turned over so you'll be ready when the food comes. They're running a little behind with the trays; some sort of problem with the warmer."

Deeks raced to the other side of the bed, bumping Sam out of the way. "Let's do this." He laced his fingers together, turned his palms outward, and dramatically feigned cracking his knuckles. He was so eager to demonstrate his newfound nursing skills, he missed the daggers the big SEAL was glaring at him.

The nurse lowered the side rails on her side of the bed. Deeks pressed the release buttons on his side, and eased his rail down—_like a pro. _

With the pillows now removed from behind his back, Callen bit down on his bottom lip, obviously preparing himself for the pain that would result from being repositioned.

Sam saw. "Stop biting your lip," he ordered.

Callen did not comply.

With Callen now on his back, Sam could see blood on his lower lip. Sam shook his head. "G. Your lip was almost well and you busted it open again." Anna held a box of tissues out toward Sam. He pulled one out, and handed it to his partner as soon as Deeks stepped out of the way.

Callen made a single swipe across his lip with the tissue. It was apparent he didn't share Sam's degree of concern over the busted lip.

The side rails were raised, and the patient was covered. The nurse raised the head of the bed.

Callen blinked a few times, as if trying to clear his vision. His head drooped forward and he closed his eyes.

Sam lightly gripped Callen's shoulder. "G. You okay?"

A few moments passed and Callen finally managed a single nod.

Anna left the bedside for a moment, returning with a wet washcloth. "I'm afraid I may have raised your head up too quickly," she said. She gently blotted the patient's face and then draped the washcloth across his forehead.

When the dizziness began to pass, Callen took in a deep breath, reached up with a shaky hand, and removed the damp cloth from his forehead. He opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and scanned the room. He lowered his head and looked down at his chest, seemingly embarrassed by the five faces that were staring down at him sympathetically.

Sam noticed the pink spots on the front of Callen's hospital gown and saw this as a distraction for his uncomfortable partner. He pulled on the stained fabric with one hand, and pointed to the half-full juice container with the other. "What happened here? Have something against cranberries?"

Deeks winced. He wondered if Sam would throw him out the fourth story window when he found out he had been responsible for causing Callen to go into a painful coughing fit.

Callen peered down at the stains. "I missed my mouth," he lied, surprising Deeks.

Marty let out a breath, relieved that Callen had covered for him. _Maybe he doesn't hate me THAT much, after all._

Sam huffed. "You missed your mouth? How in the world could you miss something that big?"

Callen slowly raised his head and flashed his partner a weak look. To those watching, it appeared to simply be a twitch of an eye. But Sam understood; _G doesn't want to talk about it._

Before Sam had a chance to change the topic of conversation, a supper tray was delivered, and placed on the portable table.

Sam instinctively went into 'hover mode.' He came around to where the tray had been placed, lowered the bed rail, and then positioned and lowered the table over Callen's lap, in what seemed like one fluid movement.

Marty watched with amazement. _Operating hospital equipment—must be something they do a lot of in SEAL training._

Callen, however, was not so impressed. He turned his face away from the food, eyes looking troubled.

"Come on, G. You need to eat or you'll never get your strength back," Sam reasoned.

With his gaze still averted, Callen reached across and scooted the table away.

Sam, in turn, rolled it back in place, over Callen's lap. "Stop being so stubborn," Sam grumbled.

"Sam?" Hetty gently warned.

Callen swallowed hard. He set his jaw and attempted to move the table again. This time it didn't budge—Sam was holding it securely.

Sam's frustration grew. _G's gone all week without food. Why won't he eat? _"G, pick up the fork and eat your food or I'm gonna feed it to you."

Callen's brows raised and his breathing became choppy. He glanced at the tray, gulped in a breath of air, and then quickly looked away.

Anna, 'taking her life into her own hands,' stepped in between the patient and his huge, protective partner. She crossed her arms and stared sternly up into Sam's eyes.

Sam stared right back into her green eyes.

Then suddenly, Sam's shoulders sagged and he let out a breath. "Sorry," he said softly. He shook his head. "He's just gone so many days… "

Anna reached out and placed her small hand on the big agent's arm. "I know," she whispered, her eyes consoling.

Sam stepped away. He looked back, apologetically, at his Operations Manager, and then took a seat beside her on the couch.

Hetty reassured him with a nod, and a pat on the knee.

The nurse rolled the table away from the bed and returned to lean in closer to her distressed patient. "Mr. Callen, are you nauseated?" she asked quietly.

G shook his head, negatively, avoiding her gaze.

"Maybe we need to just take smaller steps. Many of our patients, who have been through trauma and haven't eaten in a while, find that tackling a whole meal at once is overwhelming. They develop almost an aversion to food. And with the nausea you experienced with your head injury, it is possible your mind is just telling you not to eat."

Callen glanced at her so quickly that she would have missed it if it had not been for the deep blue flash from his eyes.

Anna was not certain her patient was fully attending to what she was saying, but her words seemed to have had a calming effect—his breathing was slowing and he was now more relaxed.

The nurse continued with her proposal. "What if I pick something off the tray for you to eat later?" She moved to pick up a few items from the food tray and stepped back beside the bed to show him.

Callen looked up at the two packages of saltine crackers Anna was holding in her hand. Some of the distress left his eyes.

"…And you choose something to eat now… Just one thing," she said, pulling the portable table closer to the bed.

After a short pause, G cautiously peered over at the food tray. He slowly scanned his options and his eyes stopped on the container of green Jell-O.

"Lime Jell-O it is." Anna opened it, placed a plastic spoon in the gelatin, and handed the container to Callen. She removed the iced tea from the tray and sat it, and the crackers, on the little table beside the bed. "I'll check on you in a little bit," she told him reassuringly. Anna left the room, taking the 'dreaded' supper tray with her.

Callen just sat, staring down at his not-so-interesting food choice, dread welling up inside him.

Sam, seeing the look in his partner's eyes, started to get up, but was stopped by a little hand placed on his arm, squeezing it once.

Hetty rose from the couch and walked to the bedside.

Callen looked up to find Hetty looking at him over the top of her glasses. His eyes widened.

For just an instant, Hetty saw a lost, frightened little boy.

"You know, Anna was right, Mr. Callen," she told him gently. "Remember the African proverb, on how to eat an elephant?"

G looked away for a moment, and then back to Hetty. "Yes," he answered softly. "One bite at a time."

"That's right… Just take that first bite."

Callen wedged the cup of Jell-O between his right forearm and his lower chest, and used his left hand to take the first bite. He swallowed, waited a few seconds, and then slowly consumed the green 'elephant' in a cup.


	5. Dr Lee

Chapter 5: Dr. Lee

The Jell-O container was empty. This accomplishment may not have warranted a victory dance; after all, it was only a six ounce serving of lime gelatin. But, the unanimous sigh of relief was certainly fitting. After several days of refusing food, Callen had finally eaten something.

G looked up at Hetty with worried eyes, anticipating an adverse reaction from his system for having put something in his stomach.

Hetty reached through the side rail, rested her hand on his shoulder, and gave her Senior Agent an approving smile.

Callen let out a small breath through his nose and his shoulders relaxed. Still gazing up at Hetty, he ran his tongue across his bloody lip.

Hetty daintily discarded the Jell-O container and picked up the glass of iced tea from the side table. "Drink this. The cold will be good for your lip." She moved to help him drink, and he brought his hand hesitantly up before he realized that she didn't want his help. She held the rim of the glass to Callen's mouth and he took a sip.

Kensi looked over to the couch at Sam from where she sat and winked at the big agent. She knew from Sam's attempt to suppress a smile, he was thinking the same thing. With Callen now fully awake, Hetty was the only one who could get away with holding a glass for him to drink from.

Hetty lowered the drink, allowed Callen time to swallow and then brought the glass to his lips again.

After the fifth sip, Callen turned he head and gently pushed the glass away, his face unreadable. He had just lowered his head back down to the pillow, when there was a tap on the door.

Dr. Lee pushed the door open and he, and Anna, entered the room.

Hetty, still holding the iced tea, moved back so they could have access to the patient.

Dr. Lee scanned the room and acknowledged each visitor. "Hello, everyone. Late making rounds today. The clinic was closed a few days while I attended that conference in Seattle and now we're playing catch-up."

G looked up cautiously at the doctor and, with his left hand, grasped the top edge of the covers. His breathing accelerating slightly, something that Sam noticed immediately.

Dr. Lee moved closer to the bedside and addressed the patient. "See you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Callen turned his head to the right and searched until he found Sam and Hetty, almost as if he was checking their reactions. He found that Sam was staring at him worriedly, and Hetty seemed calm. Everyone present caught that Callen's eyes had a small glimmer of unrest in them.

Hetty took one step closer and regarded G with narrowed eyes. "Mr. Callen. The doctor just asked you a question."

Callen looked up at Dr. Lee and stared at him with a calculating distrust in his eyes. He searched the doctor's face, then seemed to pull his attention away pointedly, lowering his eyes.

Sam licked his lips and tried to figure out what was going on with his partner. He'd seen G pull back from doctors in the past, but this wasn't one of those types of responses. He didn't know what this was. It was almost as if G thought he was in danger at first, and then decided that he didn't care anymore. After the depression that Sam had had fielded from G earlier in the week, he wondered if this was more of the same. On several occasions, Callen seemed to have been swallowed up with hopelessness, indicating by his words and demeanor that he was not worth saving. Sam wrinkled his forehead and sat forward on the couch, ready to be at Callen's side in a moment, if necessary.

Hetty peered over the top of her glasses, a hint of concern in her chiding voice. "Mr. Callen?"

The doctor turned and smiled at Hetty. "It's alright. Really. After all he's been through, a little 'white coat anxiety' is understandable."

Kensi stood up, startling Deeks, her face unreadable. She walked to the foot of the bed and studied Callen for a moment. Without taking her eyes off him, she asked in her 'interrogation' voice, "Dr. Lee, did you see Callen yesterday?"

"Yes, yesterday morning, on my way in to the clinic."

"Was he awake while you were here?"

"No. The police officer who was with him, reported that Mr. Callen had been rather restless, and they had just sedated him. I checked for pupil reaction and listened to his heart and lungs… he never even roused."

"Miss Blye? What are you thinking?" Hetty asked, now curious.

Sam and Deeks looked, confused, between Kensi, Hetty, and Callen.

Kensi continued to stare at the Senior Agent. "Callen?"

G lifted his head and looked up at his female coworker.

Kensi crossed her arms. "Do you know who this is?" she asked, using the same tone, tilting her head in the direction of Dr. Lee.

Callen's gaze traveled to the doctor and then back to Kensi's brown eyes. After a few seconds, he responded by gently shaking his head.

Sam frowned, realizing that his partner had been more out-of-it than he had originally thought; he should have caught that Callen had no idea who the man was, and didn't feel up to pretending that he did.

Deeks looked over at Sam, feeling equally guilty for not having caught what his partner had. Sam glanced over at him and met his eyes. _I know. Epic fail._

The doctor let out a sigh of frustration. "I'm so sorry, Agent Callen. When you arrived Wednesday, you were disoriented, and then we kept you heavily sedated the rest of the night. And yesterday, you were sleeping when I came by. It should have occurred to me that you might not remember me."

Callen peered up at the doctor, obviously still skeptical of the man standing beside him, but at least making eye contact.

"I'm Dr. Lee. Dr. Getz contacted me a few days ago and asked if I would oversee your medical care."

Callen released the sheet he was gripping and squinted up at Dr. Lee. "You know Nate?" he asked softly.

"Yes. We worked at the same hospital for a while; I was a resident and Nate was there getting his clinical hours. We remained friends even after he went on to his next rotation. When I got married that next summer, he was my Best Man."

"Nate all decked out in a tuxedo," Kensi mused, while returning to the chair next to her partner. "I would've liked to have seen that."

Noting that the idle conversation was doing wonders for his patient's anxiety level, Dr. Lee continued. "Aaahhh. Nate's tux… He's so tall that it had to be special ordered. It didn't come in until the morning of our wedding. And, apparently, the seamstress was in such a hurry, she left a pin in the cuff of his jacket. During the ceremony, it stuck him as he reached to hand me Alison's ring, and he dropped the ring on the floor. It rolled under the benches and didn't stop until it hit the foot of one of our guests sitting on the sixth row. We'll never let him live that down."

With everyone in the room smiling and chuckling, and the focus on something other than him, Callen finally relaxed.

"I have to laugh at Nate sometimes," the doctor said while shaking his head. "He's just got that touch of awkwardness. You never know if it's real or if it's a tactic he uses to make people feel comfortable. We joke around a lot with him, but my wife and I have a deep respect for the man. He's an excellent psychologist and has such a big heart."

Dr. Lee turned his attention to Callen. "And he's extremely concerned about you. I'm sure there will be several emails from him when I check my phone later—wanting an update on your condition. So how are you feeling?"

"I'm good," Callen responded weakly. "When can I go home?"

The doctor's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa. You really don't like hospitals, do you?" The doctor smiled reassuringly. "There are several factors to be considered before you can be released: you're still running a temperature, you have a concussion, and you need to build your strength up… We'll just take it one day at a time."

G looked down at his covers and frowned.

Hetty tilted her head to the side. "Doctor, why do you think he's still running fever?"

"My best guess is that it's just a result of the extreme trauma to his body, compounded by the dehydration. But I'll need to run some blood work to rule out an infection."

Dr. Lee pulled a penlight from his shirt pocket and leaned over the bed. "Just look straight ahead." He passed the beam of light over Callen's right eye, then left eye, several times, watching for a change in pupil size. "I'd like to schedule an MRI for tomorrow, just to make sure we've covered all our bases on the head injury." Dr. Lee looked at the nurse, who had been standing quietly to the side. "Miss Harris, would you take care of setting that up with radiology?"

Anna nodded and proceeded to write in the patient chart she was holding.

"Agent Callen, during this test, you'll be inside a tube-like machine for quite some time," the doctor explained. "It's imperative that you lie perfectly still in order for us to get reliable images. If you have any issues with being in tight spaces, I need to know so I can order a light sedative for you."

Callen did not respond. He just stared straight ahead.

Noting that his partner was either disgruntled over being told he couldn't go home, or distracted by the earlier mention of impending blood work, Sam decided to speak up for him. "G's not claustrophobic, if that's what you're asking."

Dr. Lee turned to face Sam. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. When we're working on an op, he's the one who always has to squeeze into small spaces and crawl through ventilation systems. I can't even tell you the number of times I've locked him in the trunk of my car."

"Eleven," Callen mumbled, while staring at the foot of the bed.

Dr. Lee turned his attention to Callen. "Pardon me?"

"Eleven times… he's locked me in the trunk."

The doctor now turned back to Sam with eyebrows raised.

"For work," Sam defended. "You know… undercover."

Deeks chuckled. "Hey, Kenz. You think we've been partners long enough to use the old 'lock your partner in the trunk' ruse?"

"Sure. But you're the one going in the trunk… and taking a knee to the groin."

Sam leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms. "I don't knee my partner in the groin."

"Solar plexus," Callen commented, weakly. "Eleven times."

This time, Anna and Hetty joined Dr. Lee in looking at Sam with raised eyebrows.

"What… I light touch him… and he still whines," Sam said, feigning gruffness.

Dr. Lee shook his head and smiled, and then resumed his examination of the patient. "Any headaches, dizziness, double vision, Agent Callen?"

Callen shook his head.

"Can you tell me what day it is?"

G turned his head to the side so that he could see his partner.

Sam gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Buddy. You're on your own."

He looked back up at the doctor with a questioning gaze. "Thursday?"

"You're close. It's actually Friday… Agent Callen, I'm going to give you three words to remember. In a little while, I'm going to ask you to repeat them back to me. Alright?"

Callen nodded once.

"Okay. The words you are to remember are salt… pencil… and rabbit."

Callen nodded, again.

"Alright. Now, on to managing your pain. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being greater, could you rate your pain level right now?"

The only response from the patient was a slight shoulder shrug.

"The nurses tell me that, since I changed the orders so that the pain medication is only administered at your request, you've only received it once. With the nature of your injuries, I know you must be in quite a bit of pain. Would you be more likely to take something if it wasn't so strong… wouldn't knock you out—just take the edge off so you could rest?"

Callen turned his head away from the doctor, and stared blankly at the window blinds.

Hetty, slightly frustrated with her stubborn agent, sighed loudly. "Dr. Lee, please just write the appropriate order. We'll see that he takes it."

"Very well." Dr. Lee turned to the nurse. "I'll change the pain medication to Theradin. I'll leave the Valium ordered, PRN."

The doctor removed his stethoscope from his lab coat pocket, listened to Callen's heart, and then signaled with his eyes, for Anna to move to the other side of the bed. "Agent Callen, I need to listen to your lungs, examine your ribs and abdomen and then turn you so I can have a look at your back."

Callen gave the doctor a cautious glance and then lowered his eyes.

Anna closed the chart, placed it on the foot of the bed, and walked around to the other side. As she lowered the head of the bed, she noticed Dr. Lee reaching for the gown tie at the back of Callen's neck. "Oh. His gown's not tied," she informed. "When we turned him last, I left all the ties undone."

The doctor nodded, and moved his hand to the top of the sheet.

Callen tensed when the covers were removed. He became even more uncomfortable when his gown was lowered to his waist. He cut his eyes to side, avoiding eye contact with anyone around him.

Detecting Callen's uneasiness, Dr. Lee leaned in closer and asked, "Would you be more comfortable if there were fewer people in the room?"

G looked up at Hetty, and then, briefly, over at his partner. He lowered his eyes again, and shook his head.

"Just making sure."

Dr. Lee finished the assessment of the patient's lungs and returned the stethoscope to his pocket. He then visually examined the bruising on Callen's right side, noting that the color was a slightly lighter shade of purple than the day before. The doctor gently pressed on the sore ribs, causing Callen to gasp.

G regained his focus and, practically held his breath, determined to be still and quiet while the doctor continued pressing on his stomach and abdomen.

When this part of the exam was complete, Dr. Lee pulled the gown back up into place. He and Anna lowered the rails and turned the patient onto his left side.

Callen brought his right arm up and draped it across the side of his head, essentially shielding his face.

All at once, Sam sprang up from the couch. "Is he biting his lip?"

Still supporting Callen on his side, Anna leaned down so that she was face-to-face with him. When she stood up straight, she looked at Sam, and shook her head.

The ex-SEAL let out a breath and returned to his seat.

Dr. Lee opened the back of the Callen's gown and lowered the waist of his pajama a couple of inches. Unlike Callen's torso, the bruising on his lower back was even darker than when he had arrived at the hospital, two days before. The doctor scanned Callen's back and shoulders for a moment.

Anna assisted the Dr. Lee in turning Callen over onto his back and then raised the head of the bed.

Dr. Lee picked up G's left arm, and then his right, examining the abrasions on his palms and the scrapes and bruises on his forearms. "Your wrist is a little swollen. Until we can get you in a cast, you're going to need to be extra careful not to use that hand."

Callen held his right hand up and looked at his wrist. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "A cast?" he asked softly. G turned his head toward Hetty and searched her eyes for answers. "What happened to my wrist?"

"Mr. Callen, you lost your footing several times after your accident. Apparently, one of those times, you tried to catch yourself, fracturing your wrist."

Marty furrowed his brow, concerned that Callen was still losing bits of information. The detective dropped his chin to his chest and cleared his throat, rather loudly.

Without taking her eyes off her Senior Agent, who was, once again, staring at his wrist, Hetty proceeded to clarify the detective's signal. "Mr. Deeks? I gather you two have already had this conversation?"

With his head still lowered, Marty replied, "Uh-huh. Aaand the day of the week."

"I see... Mr. Callen. Do you know what day this is?"

G laid his right hand on his chest and looked at Hetty with squinted eyes. "Wednesday?... No. Thursday."

Deeks and Kensi exchanged worried glances. Sam ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. It was unsettling to see their lead agent forget a simple piece of information in such a short period of time.

The doctor reached down and raised the bed rail. "Agent Callen, do you remember, a little while ago, I gave you some words to remember?"

Callen looked up at the doctor and nodded, hesitantly.

"Can you tell me the three words I gave to you?"

Callen stared at the wall in front of him, as if searching for the answers there. His forehead tensed and his breathing became choppy.

Seeing the growing panic in his partner's eyes, Sam got up from the couch and stepped up behind Hetty. In this disoriented state, G was feeling vulnerable and scared. Sam wanted to assure him that he wouldn't let anything happen to him, that he had his back. Hetty moved aside, understanding what was happening, and Sam took her place at the bedside. He placed his hand on Callen's shoulder.

Dr. Lee leaned closer to Callen. "It's alright," he consoled. "With a concussion, it's normal to have spotty memory for a while. Just give it some time."

Sam's stomach twisted. In less than an hour, he had watched G zone in and out several times, and go from, being coherent and participating in light bantering, to being confused and afraid. If this emotional roller coaster was causing Sam this much anxiety, he could only imagine what it must be like for his partner. Sam gave Callen's shoulder a quick, light squeeze. "G... Just relax... It's okay."

Callen closed his eyes until his breathing returned to normal. He looked up at Sam, and then looked down, lowering his head as if he were ashamed.

Sam was not sure if G was embarrassed about the memory loss, or for the display of panic in front of his co-workers. He squeezed Callen's shoulder, again.

Still looking downward, Callen swallowed hard. "Could I have a drink?" he asked, his voice soft and unsure.

Anna raised the rail on her side of the bed, while Sam poured a cup of water.

Callen's hands were trembling when he took the Styrofoam cup from Sam. But he managed to drink half of the contents, and hand it back to his partner, without a spill.

Sam put the cup on the table and then replaced his hand on G's shoulder.

Dr. Lee picked up the patient chart from the bed, and made an entry. "Agent Callen, I'm going to have physical therapy come tomorrow, and get you up in a chair for a while."

G narrowed his eyes that were suddenly stormy and shrugged his shoulder out of Sam's grip. "I don't need therapy," Callen mumbled.

Seeing a hint of his partner's customary independent temperament, Sam fought to suppress a smile that was twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"You need some help until you get your strength back." the doctor explained.

"I don't need help," Callen protested weakly. "Just take these rails down. I can get up by myself."

Hetty glared at her Senior Agent. "Mr. Callen?" she warned.

G looked up at his tiny boss with wide, blue eyes, and then ducked his head like a brooding teenager.

Dr. Lee and Anna exchanged amused smiles and then he continued. "I understand you were walking after the accident, but there is much more bruising and inflammation in your hip, now. Add in the neurological changes from your head injury, and the fact that you have been without food for a while... well, you just aren't strong enough to get up on your own."

The doctor closed the chart and tucked it under his arm. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to check on you. If there are any problems, just let the nurses know. They know how to reach me."

Anna pulled the blanket up over the patient and followed Dr. Lee out of the room.

As soon as the door was closed, Callen grimaced and shifted his position in the bed.

Sam studied his partner. "G. Do you need something for pain?"

Callen looked down and shook his head.

Hetty moved to the foot of the bed. "Mr. Hanna. What time does your family leave tomorrow?"

"Their flight's at 10:50 in the morning. I'm going to drop them off at the airport 9:00."

"Then go spend some time with them before you see them off. I'll stay the night with Mr. Callen."

G looked up at Sam with eyebrows raised, and expression that clearly said, 'Don't leave me here with her.'

"Mr. Callen. Stop trying to send your partner telepathic messages," Hetty chided. "You should know by now, I can read your minds."

"I knew it!" Marty exclaimed suddenly, resulting in stern look from Hetty at the volume of his voice.

Callen shifted his weight, once again, and frowned.

Hetty furrowed her brow. "Mr. Callen. Do you need to be repositioned?"

G did not respond.

Deeks stood up, picked up a pen from the bedside table, and scribbled something on a napkin.

Hetty turned to Kensi. "Miss Blye. Would you be so kind as to give your partner a ride home?"

With one last glance at Callen, Kensi stood and headed to the door.

"Oh, and would you stop and get Mr. Deeks something to eat? It appears the man has survived on nothing but cheese crackers all day."

Deeks' face lit up. "Is this a date? Where are you taking me?"

Kensi opened the door. "Not a date."

Deeks handed a folded napkin to Sam, and called out to Kensi, as he followed her out the door. "Fern?... Honey Bunch?... Light of my life?... Wait up."

Sam chuckled. He opened up the napkin and read the words Deeks had written. '_Callen needs bathroom. Call nurse!'_ Sam's chuckling suddenly ceased. _Crap!_

Sam looked at his partner, who was looking rather uncomfortable at this point. "G. I'll see you in the morning, sometime. Don't give Hetty too much trouble." The ex-SEAL patted Callen on the shoulder, slipped the folded napkin into Hetty's hand, and quickly exited the room.

He lingered just outside the door for a moment, and listened.

"Oh bugger!"


	6. Healing Touch

Chapter 6: Healing Touch

Hetty settled onto the couch in Callen's room. She watched him as he stared at the wall to his left, with his head turned away from her. She sensed his irritation at being confined to the bed. There was just no convincing him that he was too weak to get up on his own. Given the chance, she feared he would try.

Anna entered the room and walked to the bedside. She was not surprised when her patient did not acknowledge her presence. She had known him for less than five hours, but it was apparent that his opposition to being cared for was not just some "tough guy" act. It was deeply rooted; maybe even a filter through which he viewed the world.

"Mr. Callen?" Anna spoke softly. "The doctor has ordered blood work. I can notify the lab, and they will send up a technician to draw blood later tonight. Or, if you'd like, I can go ahead and do it myself."

Callen let out a breath, turned his head and looked up at the nurse. The nod was gentle, barely visible. His expression did not change, but the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.

"Alright, give me just a minute to go get what I need."

Anna returned a few minutes later, carrying a caddy with her supplies. She walked around to Callen's left side, lowered the rail, and sat the container on the bed beside him. She scanned his right arm, and then his left. There were so many bruises from the repeated attempts to start the IV. It was impossible to find a place to draw blood that was not already blue. Anna had no doubt this would be a painful procedure.

Anna looked down at her patient, sympathetically. "I'm really sorry to have to stick you when your arms are already so sore. I'll do my best to get this on the first try."

Callen's eyes followed the nurse's every move as she slipped on a pair of gloves, tied a rubber tourniquet around his upper arm, and then prepped the crook of his elbow with alcohol. When he saw she had readied the blood collection tube and needle, he closed his eyes. After a moment, he let out a shaky breath, and slowly opened his eyes. Staring straight ahead, his lips pressed together, Callen gave a single nod.

Hetty dreaded seeing Callen's wounded body receive yet another needle mark. But she couldn't help but find some comfort in the familiar way her Senior Agent had focused, readying himself for what was to follow. She stepped up to Callen's side, taking his right hand in hers, hoping that he would be able to maintain this degree of composure during the procedure.

Anna bit her lower lip and glanced over at Hetty with a look that said, '_here we go.' _She turned her attention back to her patient, who was still staring at the space in front of him. With the hand not holding the needle, she gently rubbed his upper arm for a few seconds. "Okay. Close your eyes." Her voice was soft and calming. "Take a deep breath, as much air as you can take in without causing discomfort to your ribs, and then let it out slowly."

Callen swiped his bottom lip with his tongue and did as he was instructed.

"Now begin counting backwards from ninety-nine… There's going to be a stick."

Callen flinched when the needle penetrated his skin, but his eyes remained closed.

"That's it. You're doing great."

The nurse removed the tourniquet. Callen took in a quick breath and drew up his left leg, clinching his teeth against the pain.

Anna's chest ached because of the pain she was causing. But this had to be done. And, better it be done by someone he already knew and trusted. "Take in another breath of air and begin counting again. We're almost done. One more vial."

Callen licked his lips but kept his eyes closed. He took in a breath and let it out through his nose.

Anna filled the second vial and removed the needle. "Done." She applied pressure with a piece of cotton, secured it with Coban wrap, and placed her supplies and vials into the caddy. When she pulled up the side rail, she noticed that the patient was looking up at her with heavy eyelids. She gave him a warm smile. "You haven't slept much today, have you?"

Without a reply, Callen looked tiredly over at Hetty.

Still holding Callen's hand, Hetty smiled at him and shook her head. "It certainly appears that way."

Anna picked up her supplies and made her way around to the other side of the bed. "I'm going to walk this down to the lab. I'll be back in a few minutes to see if you'd like some medicine to help you sleep." The nurse deposited the needle in the sharps container and disposed of her gloves. "In the meantime…" Anna picked up the packages of crackers from the bedside table and held them up for Callen to see, returned them to the table, and left the room.

Hetty gave Callen's hand a light squeeze before letting go. She poured a fresh cup of water and held it up to his mouth, this time allowing him to take it. She couldn't help notice how much he was trembling. It was obvious that he had expended what little energy he had left on staying calm and focused while Nurse Anna drew blood. This latest "needle encounter" had wiped him out.

It took Callen several minutes to finish the water. And, when he handed Hetty the empty cup, she placed a cracker in his hand.

G eyed the cracker groggily, looked up at his boss, and shook his head.

"Mr. Callen. Two packages. That's only four saltines. That was the deal."

He frowned at the cracker he was holding, but then took a small bite. When he finally consumed the cracker, Hetty handed him another. Not having the strength to protest, he took it from her, and ate it even more slowly than the first.

Hetty gave Callen a sip of water, opened up the second package, and put one of the crackers in his hand. He looked up at her briefly but his tired eyes would not focus. He took two small bites, and Anna reentered the room just as Callen's eyes slid shut.

Anna stood next to Hetty, who was watching the sleeping patient. "Well, how'd he do?" the nurse asked, keeping her voice low.

"Two…" Hetty said softly, while retrieving the partially eaten cracker from Callen's limp hand that was now resting on his lower chest. "And a half."

"Doesn't look like I'll need to go get the pain medicine, after all."

"Unfortunately, I don't think he'll be out long. Mr. Callen typically only sleeps for a couple of hours at a time, if that long. A good night's sleep for him would be a cat-nap for most people."

"I don't understand how a person can function on so little sleep. It took me a while to adjust to working these long shifts. And that's only on the weekends. I'd be a basket case if I never got to catch up on my sleep." Anna said softly, still looking down at Callen.

Hetty pursed her lips for a moment. "Requiring such little sleep definitely has its advantages in his line of work; being able to sleep with 'one eye open' as they say. But I often worry that a lifetime of insomnia may catch up with him someday."

"A lifetime? He suffered from insomnia as a child?"

"Yes. Even as a young boy, he slept very little." Hetty tilted her head back and took in a breath. She was unable to disguise the sadness in her voice as she continued. "I'm afraid he grew up under circumstances where he did not feel safe – where places and people were constantly changing. Sleep, I believe, only brought about a sense of vulnerability for him."

Both women stood silently, lost in their own thoughts. Anna, realizing her gut feeling about this man was correct; he had overcome more than one person should have to. And Hetty, remembering the small boy; the child who, by default, became his own protector.

Anna finally managed to swallow down the lump that had formed in her throat and she looked at the tiny woman beside her. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I hope you don't think I was prying."

Hetty's eyes met Anna's. "No apology necessary," she said, keeping her voice low. "I wouldn't have disclosed this bit of information if I did not find you to be trustworthy." Hetty turned, once again, and looked at Callen. "He seems to trust you, too. And, as I'm sure you have guessed by now, there are very few people in whom he trusts."

"I'm glad you think I'm getting through. He doesn't seem to take too well to being taken care of."

"That, my dear, is a huge understatement," Hetty said with a soft smile. "Occasionally, I have had to resort to force to get him the proper medical attention. He avoids doctors and hospital personnel like the plague."

"That just means I need to work that much harder to gain his confidence. I believe establishing trust as a healthcare provider plays such a big role in the patient's recovery," Anna replied, still keeping her voice low.

"I could tell right away that this was your philosophy. You are an excellent nurse – gifted in the ability of building rapport with your patients."

Anna smiled. "Thank you."

"Mr. Callen is not usually receptive to human contact and you seem to calm him with a single touch."

"I had the privilege of doing one of my clinical rotations in the neonatal ICU at the Mayo Clinic. I was mentored by a nurse who had done extensive research on the need for infants to receive physical contact and I learned of the benefits of gentle, compassionate touch."

"I remember reading studies that were conducted in orphanages, sometime back – they found a high mortality rate in infants who were not held." Hetty's eyes narrowed. "I find this subject to be both fascinating and disturbing."

"I feel the same way," Anna responded softly. "Even toddlers and preschoolers, who are denied adequate nurturing, are often afraid of touch. It affects them into adulthood."

Hetty looked down at Callen and lightly grasped his right hand. "That it does."

"That is why I emphasize the need for touch to our new parents and to my coworkers in the pediatric unit. Human touch is crucial for a child's development. And I am convinced that some of these principles apply in caring for our adult patients, as well – that compassionate touch, by the healthcare provider, reduces pain and promotes healing."

Hetty let go of G's hand, lifted her gaze, and smiled at the petite nurse. "It is refreshing to see someone so passionate about what they do. And I am certainly thankful Monica requested you be assigned to this floor for the weekend." Hetty looked at her sleeping agent, shook her head slowly, and sighed. "Monica must have seen that we need all the help we can get. This one can be quite difficult at times."

Anna chuckled softly. "I sort of guessed that." Anna was sure that the bond between this patient and the woman standing next to her was stronger than just that of a working relationship.

Hetty took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and looked back at the nurse. "I know you have other patients to attend to. I hope I haven't kept you too long."

"Not at all. I enjoyed talking to you."

"The pleasure was mine." Hetty gave Callen a quick glance. "He's exhausted. Hopefully he'll be down for a couple of hours."

"Well, when he wakes up, let me know and I'll bring him something for pain."

"Certainly. And thank you for your time."

The nurse checked the IV pump settings and the tubing leading to G's hand before leaving the room.

Hetty stood at the bedside, observing the rise and fall of Callen's chest. Even while sleeping, his breaths were too quick and shallow. She noted the cuts, and scrapes, and bruises he had sustained. She reached up and cupped his jaw in her palm. Tears stung her eyes. For a moment, she saw only the small blonde boy she had vowed to protect.

When Hetty was confident that Callen was sleeping soundly, she made her way to the corner and sat down on the couch. Knowing how restless he had been the night before, she thought it best to get some rest while things were quiet.


	7. Theradin

Chapter 7: Theradin

It had not even been one full hour before Callen began to rouse. Still lying on his back, the head of the bed slightly elevated, he bent his left knee. Hetty went to his side and watched as he shifted slightly in the bed, and grimaced. G moaned softly and then seemed to relax. A few seconds later, he stirred again and winced. This time the moan that followed was a bit more forceful. She reached out and carefully rested a hand on his upper arm, hoping that he would calm if this was, in fact, a nightmare. He stilled for a few moments, obviously being comforted somewhat by her touch. Hetty stood, quietly watching him, not completely convinced that he would settle back to sleep. Her suspicions were answered when he moved again. She was certain now: he was in pain.

Just then, Anna quietly entered the room with a new bag of IV solution. The younger woman noted the look of concern in Hetty's eyes as she came closer. Anna hung and connected the IV bag and watched Callen's small unsettled movements for a few moments before speaking. "Not quite the two hours we'd hoped for."

"I'm afraid not," Hetty responded, her voice low, with a hint of melancholy.

The nurse paused, once again, thinking. "I'm going to find someone to assist me in getting him turned. I'll bring some pain medicine with me. Maybe he'll agree to take it."

With her gaze still locked on Callen, Hetty smiled and shook her head. "Oh, I don't think there's much chance of him agreeing to it. But we'll get it down him somehow."

The young nurse exited the room, realizing that she was about to see the side of her patient she had read about in the nurses' notes: _adamantly opposed to taking pain meds._ Upon first reading the note, she had hoped that Monica had been slightly exaggerating. Now she wondered if Monica hadn't been telling the exact truth. Inhaling, Anna hurried to find a strong nurse to help her, all the while thinking how grateful she was that her husband wasn't like this when he was sick.

In the hospital room, Hetty realized that Callen was becoming slightly agitated in his unconscious state. Not wanting to add to his distress, she lifted her hand from his arm and took a small step back.

Callen's eyes opened suddenly. Almost instantly, his breath hitched and he shut his eyes tightly. Clearly in pain, he held his breath for several seconds.

Hetty couldn't help the concern that filled her. This was a blatant reminder of how bad he had been when she had treated him with first aid back at Ops. It had been less than three days ago, but it felt like a month ago, with the amount of stress and emotional turmoil she and her agents had been through. She wished that she could banish his hurt. _Just this once._

Anna and a tall, muscular, male nurse entered the room just as G released his breath.

Callen squirmed, and then straightened out his left leg, inadvertently pulling the top of the covers down below his waist. When he was able to fully open his eyes, he looked up at Hetty with a pained expression. "Hetty…" His voice was soft and hoarse. "I've got to get up."

Hetty moved closer and reached through the rail. Placing her palm on his shoulder, she asked him calmly, "Where are you hurting?"

He began to take in quick breaths. "Please," he whispered. "Just let me get up."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Callen. That's just not possible at this time," Hetty said, her voice a touch quieter. She was unsettled by the look of betrayal in Callen's eyes that followed her words. She removed her hand and stepped back from the bed.

Anna came to the bedside, eyes full of sympathy. "Mr. Callen. This is C.J." She glanced with her eyes to the large man standing behind her. "We're going to turn you onto your side and try to make you more comfortable…" She held up a tiny cup that contained a single dark blue capsule. "But I'd like you to take this pain medicine before we do."

G looked at the cup, breathing hard, then up at Hetty and shook his head.

Hetty took a step closer, lowering her chin. "You need to listen to the nurses. They are following the doctor's orders."

Callen's breathing became more strained. He looked up at Anna with panic in his eyes.

Anna realized what he was frightened of, so she added quickly, "This is the new medicine the doctor told you about. It shouldn't knock you out; just help with the pain so you can rest."

Callen narrowed his eyes and turned his head to face the window.

Anna looked at Hetty with concern, asking with her frown, _now what?_

The petite woman met her gaze before she moved up against the side of the bed. "Mr. Callen. You can either take this, or I'll send the nurse for the sedative."

Callen cautiously turned his head and peered over at Hetty, as if determining how serious she was. What he saw was his Operations Manager glaring at him over the top of her glasses. G averted his gaze and set his jaw, now panting through gritted teeth against the pain.

"The choice is yours," Hetty said, pointing to the medicine with a long, slender finger. "This pill… or the shot that makes you sleep."

Anna looked from the patient, to Hetty, then back to Callen, wondering if this "battle of wills" was a common occurrence in their working relationship. She was fairly certain it was.

Callen closed his eyes. He took a few short breaths through his nose, and then opened his eyes to look with disdain at the little medicine cup in the nurse's hand.

Grateful that she didn't have to order the sedative that her lead agent hated so much, Hetty poured a fresh cup of water, took the medicine from the container, and held it up to Callen's lips.

With his gaze now averted, G parted his teeth, just enough for Hetty to slip the blue capsule into his mouth. He didn't even bother reaching for the cup when it was put up to his lips; he simply took a drink, obediently swallowing the medicine.

After checking Callen's vitals, Anna moved to lower the head of the bed, pulled the covers down to the foot board, and motioned for C.J. to move to the other side. "You've slid down in bed a little. We're going to need to move you up higher before we turn you."

C.J. and Anna lowered the bedrails. Using the draw sheet, they lifted the patient and shifted him up toward the headboard.

Callen looked away, avoiding eye contact with those who were now handling him. Except for a soft gasp, he was silent while being turned to his left side.

Anna placed a pillow between Callen's knees and looked over at the male nurse. "If you'll hold him in place for just a minute, I'll do a quick skin integrity assessment." At C.J.'s nod, Anna opened the back of the untied gown, this time not startled by the bullet scars. She rubbed on Callen's back, concentrating on the reddened areas from where he had been lying on the mattress. Her hands were as gentle as possible, applying just enough pressure to soothe him. Now knowing that her patient wouldn't protest her touching him, she took the opportunity to sneak into his care what she had decided was necessary: comforting touch.

Within sixty seconds, C.J. felt the patient relax in his grip. He watched carefully as the patient blinked tiredly, almost looking like he was experiencing calm for the first time in hours. Glancing at Anna, C.J. caught that she was focused on rubbing the bed sheet wrinkles out of the patient's back. He went back to watching the patient while she continued, monitoring for signs of pain or otherwise.

C.J. looked up at Anna with a grin when he saw Callen's eyes finally close a few minutes later.

Anna, allowing a small smile to touch her features when she realized what C.J.'s look meant, carefully replaced the gown. She placed the pillows behind Callen's back and C.J. positioned one under his right arm. They pulled the covers up over the patient before quietly leaving the room.

Hetty went to the room's closet and, standing on her tip toes, retrieved a blanket from the shelf at the top. She came around the bed, to the side Callen was facing, and turned off the light above him. The petite woman took a seat in the straight-back chair next to him and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. She watched her agent for a while. The magic the nurse had just worked on Callen was nothing short of miraculous. She had never seen Callen react like that to anyone. Thankful that he was resting peacefully for the time being, she sighed, and nestled into the chair.

It wasn't long before Hetty sat straight up in her chair. Her senses were telling her something was wrong. Something was off about Callen's breathing; he was still asleep but his breaths were not even. She wondered if he was experiencing pain in his sleep. Or maybe the nightmares were returning. She found either scenario to be disturbing. She had thought the pain medication would last at least four hours. There was a greater chance that it was nightmares.

Hetty remained sitting straight and ready to act as time wore on. Listening. Waiting.

Over the next hour, Callen became more restless and occasionally Hetty would hear him mumble a phrase or two in his sleep, each time nearly bringing her to rise to her feet. What he said wasn't clear enough to distinguish the language, but she was certain it wasn't English.

Then suddenly, Hetty heard Callen's body jerk violently beneath the covers and his breathing become more labored. Hetty let the blanket fall from her shoulders and finally stood to her feet. She saw Callen's wide blue eyes shining in the near-dark, lit only by the faint light entering the hospital room window through the short drapes. Hoping she could get him to settle back to sleep, she chose not to turn on the light right above his head. Instead, she quickly and silently made her way around the bed, to the other side of the room, and flipped on the light in the doorway.

Even from that distance, she could see that Callen was panicked. He was cautiously surveying his surrounds as he lay on his side, breathing hard.

Hetty returned to her position on other side of the bed and placed her hand on Callen's lower jaw and neck. His rapid heart rate pounded against her tiny fingers. "Mr. Callen," she said softly, trying to get him to calm down.

Just then, Nurse Anna opened the door and stepped inside. "I saw the light on… Is everything okay?"

As Anna made her way to the bedside, Callen heard her footsteps and became more agitated, bringing up his hand to attempt pushing Hetty's hand away, trying at the same time to look over to where the nurse was.

Hetty removed her hand from his neck, hoping he would not further injure his fractured hand trying to push her away, and took a hold of his arm above his elbow. "Mr. Callen," she repeated, a bit more forcefully than before. "What's wrong?"

Callen's eyes met those of his concerned boss. "Hetty?" he whispered. His tired eyes searching the side of the room he was facing before looking back at Hetty. "Gde ya?" _Where am I?_ He asked in Russian, between quick breaths.

"You're in the hospital," she replied gently in English.

Callen glanced down at Hetty's hand that was still holding his arm, and then looked back up. "Was I shot?"

Hetty have him a small smile. "No… not this time. You fell. But you're going to be just fine. They're taking good care of you."

Callen's breathing began to slow, but the fear had not left his eyes. "Sem vse v poryadke?" _Is Sam alright?_

"Yes. Sam's alright."

"Kensi? Deeks?" he pressed, worried.

"Everyone's fine."

G closed his eyes briefly and swallowed. "Chto sluchilos'?" _What happened?_ He asked when he had reopened his eyes.

"You were investigating a crime scene when someone fired a sniper round at you. Sam pushed you out of the way and off of a platform. It seems he landed on top of you in the process of saving your life."

The fear in Callen's eyes was now being replaced with confusion. He turned his head to the right, but was unable to see the other side of the room while positioned on his side. He looked up at Hetty with narrowed eyes and asked in Russian, "Gde Sem?" _Where's Sam?_

"I sent him home to be with his family. Sam is just fine," she said, attempting to reassure her senior agent. "The suspect is now in custody, thanks to your team."

Calming, Callen's breathing slowed and he blinked tiredly up at Hetty. His energy was fading fast.

"Everyone is safe now." Hetty began rubbing small circles on Callen's upper arm and shoulder, and began speaking softly to him in Russian. "Eto khorosho spat'. Ty v bezopasnosti." _It's alright to sleep now. You are safe. _

Callen closed his eyes and Hetty felt the tension leave his body beneath her hand.

Hetty removed her hand from Callen's arm and gave the nurse a troubled look.

"Hopefully, he will rest a little while, now," Anna whispered, her eyes showing her surprise at the language use they had both displayed, and the details that Hetty had divulged about how her patient had received his injuries. Mainly the sniper part.

Hetty nodded. "Maybe so," she said softly. "He slept soundly for a little more than an hour after you gave him the pain pill."

"He can have another one at 11:30." Anna checked her watch. "That's in about two and a half hours," she said, still keeping her voice low. "I'll be checking on him in the meantime. Oh… and he'll go for his MRI in the morning around 5:30 or 6:00. When I told Radiology that Dr. Lee was concerned that there had been some neurological changes over the past few days, they moved him to be first on the schedule."

"Thank you, Ms. Harris."

Anna gave her patient another concerned look before leaving the room.

At around 10:45, Callen began to stir again. Hetty turned the light on above his bed. She watched helplessly as his sleep gradually became more fitful.

Anna checked on her patient at 11:30 and found him to be restless and mumbling in his sleep, Hetty standing at his side. "Another rough night, I see."

"Yes, it is. He's been restless for nearly an hour."

"Dr. Lee had hoped that the Theradin would reduce the pain enough for him to rest. Maybe enough of it will build up in his system with the second dose. Press the call light when he is awake and I'll bring him another pill."

"Thank you, dear."

The nurse left the room, concerned at how tired Hetty sounded and looked.

It was close to midnight when Callen opened his eyes. He stared straight ahead, as if looking right through Hetty.

When alerted by the call light, Anna came with the medicine. She removed the pillows from around the patient and slowly rolled him onto his back. She raised the head of the bed and poured a cup of water. "Mr. Callen. I have your pain pill."

G continued to stare expressionless into space, not seeming to notice he had been spoken to.

Hetty reached up and patted the side of his face. "Mr. Callen?"

The only change in Callen's expression was a slight narrowing of his eyes.

Hetty sighed, looked across to Anna, and reached out her hand.

The nurse took the dark blue pill and placed it in Hetty's palm. Allowing someone to force a pill down her patient was not ideal. But in this situation, it seemed to be the best way. At this moment, this man was just not alert enough to follow commands, and it was obvious that his boss was experienced at caring for him.

Hetty slipped her right hand behind Callen's head and tilted it forward slightly. With his jaw now a bit more relaxed, she was able to push the medicine into his mouth.

While Hetty continued to hold his head forward, Anna put the cup water to his lips, giving him several sips of water.

Callen, seemingly unaware of his surroundings, swallowed automatically.

Anna leaned in close to Callen and studied his mouth. "Do you think it went down? I don't want him to choke on it."

"We should know in a matter of seconds. I've witnessed his reaction to a pill dissolving in his mouth."

Both women watched intently for close to a minute before Hetty finally spoke. "Well. It appears to have been swallowed." She gently lowered his head to the pillow and slid her hand from behind his head.

Callen turned his head slowly toward Hetty and looked straight into her eyes. His lips parted as if he were about to speak. Then his mouth closed and his brow wrinkled in confusion, all recognition fading from his expression. He turned his head to face straight ahead, once again staring blankly into space.

Hetty frowned down at him and shook her head, wondering deep in her soul whether it was more difficult to deal with a medicated Callen, or a regular stubborn Callen. The sigh that she released was laden with the possibilities of the fact that she might be dealing with the more difficult of the two.


	8. Flashback

Chapter 8: Flashback

An hour later, when Nurse Anna checked in on Callen, she noticed that Hetty looked even more exhausted than before. After recording the patient's vital signs, she looked across the bed to where Hetty sat, and quietly said, "I'm about to go on break. Give me just a minute to get a _Dr. Pepper_. I'll be back to sit with Mr. Callen so you can take a break."

"Oh, that's not necessary. I'm just fine," Hetty responded, not sounding as convincing as she had intended.

Anna knew she was dealing with a woman as strong-willed as the man who occupied the hospital bed in front of her. Miss Lange was not going to admit to her fatigue. Anna would just have to appeal to her logic. _Actually, make Hetty think it is her own idea._ The nurse folded her arms across her chest and said, in her most authoritative, yet respectful voice, "I know you feel fine right now. But it looks like we might be in for another long night. We need you… he needs you to be alert and ready."

Hetty slowly rose to her feet, looked at Callen, and sighed. "Well, I guess while he's sleeping this soundly would be a good time to stretch my legs."

"Good," Anna said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

The nurse returned, shortly, with a soft drink can in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. She handed the water across to Hetty, who was still standing on the opposite side of the bed. "The cafeteria is closed," Anna said quietly. "But there are complimentary snacks in the waiting area at the end of the hall. And the restrooms are by the elevator."

"Thank you, Ms. Harris," Hetty responded, before looking down at Callen again. She reached out and laid a gentle hand on the top of his head, her eyes becoming sad. After a moment, she brought her hand back down to her side, sighed, and then walked to the door. Just before exiting the room, she stopped and glanced back at her sleeping agent.

The young nurse felt a twinge of sadness in the pit of her stomach. It suddenly occurred to her that Hetty's hesitance to take a break had less to do with not wanting to admit she was tired, and more to do with not wanting to leave this man's side.

Anna blinked away the moisture in her eyes and cleared her throat as quietly as possible. She took a seat on the couch in the corner of the room, sitting sideways, so that she could prop up her feet while keeping an eye on the patient.

She was about halfway finished with her soft drink when she noticed Callen flinch in his sleep. She held her breath a few seconds, peering intently over at him. Relieved that he remained still, she resumed sipping on her _Dr. Pepper_.

The relief was short-lived, however. Callen's body jerked again, as if something had startled him. He began gently turning his head from side-to-side and his breath rate accelerated. His eyes remained closed but he was clearly in some sort of distress.

Anna let out a frustrated breath. Her patient was only resting for about an hour after receiving the pain medication. He just wasn't responding well to the Theradin.

Anna observed Callen from a distance. Even from several feet away, she could see sweat forming on his forehead and at the neck of his hospital gown. His movements were small and sluggish but he seemed to be trying to get away from something.

The nurse put her drink down, stood, and made her way to the side of the bed. She studied Callen for a few moments. Anna listened carefully to Callen's mumbling – although it was faint, she was certain he was speaking in another language, again. She considered waking him, but remembered how confused he was the last time he woke up from a fitful sleep.

Callen suddenly drew in a quick breath. His hands went immediately to his sore ribs and a soft whimper escaped. A few seconds later, a single tear leaked from the corner of his right eye.

Anna's heart sank. This man was clearly having a terrible nightmare.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^

_Something's wrong!_

_He hurt all over?_

_Why is there so much pain?_

_Callen attempted to open his eyes but couldn't. He needed to figure out what was going on. But he couldn't move. His arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. Where am I? He tried, again, to force his eyes open, and failed. _

_He could feel the crisp sheets beneath him and a pillow behind his head. Am I in a bed? Wherever he was, it was quiet and smelled like alcohol. G tried focusing on his right arm. With all his strength, he willed it to move. Ouch! Something stung the back of his hand. Maybe he should just be still until he could figure all this out._

_That stinging sensation in his hand was familiar. It was a needle. Crisp sheets… the antiseptic smell… the needle pulling beneath his skin… he was in a hospital! He hated hospitals! G's heart began to race. Why am I in a hospital? And, how did I get here? _

_Callen could hear two women talking quietly beside him. Their voices were soft and kind. They must have been there with whoever was in the next hospital bed. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he found their voices to be comforting. He lay there listening, telling himself to calm down so he could think. _

_The two women stopped talking and he thought he felt the pressure in the room change – like someone had opened and closed the door. Had they gone? Or was someone coming in… someone who would stick him with needles or poke him in places that already hurt? He really, really hated hospitals. But he had to fight away this panicky feeling. He needed to concentrate… needed to remember what he had done that day that was bad enough for him to end up in the hospital. He had been trying so hard to follow all the rules._

_Callen suddenly got an image of getting off the school bus that day. When he had opened the back door to the house, he heard his foster parents yelling at each other. It was always worse for the kids when Mr. and Mrs. Garrison were fighting… the punishment was worse… the hits were harder. _

_G had been living with the Garrisons for a little less than two weeks. He was sure they would give him away to another family soon. He had already broken so many rules. The night before, Mr. Garrison had hit Callen in the face, and then sent him to bed without supper, for not speaking loudly enough when answering a question. He hated when they hit him in the face. The grown-ups at school would sometimes notice and ask him questions…_

_Like today at school, the nurse had asked him about the marks on his face. He had to make up some story about falling and hurting himself._

_Callen had been able to hide the belt marks from his whipping Sunday night – they were all under his clothes. G had been whipped because he had forgotten to put the stepstool back in the utility room after washing the dishes. He would have to do better at remembering this rule so that it wouldn't happen again – it was really hard to sit in his desk the next day at school._

_Last week, Mrs. Garrison had shaken him so hard he thought his teeth would fall out. He had used her favorite cup to get a drink of water. And the same night, his foster father had thrown him against the wall for sleeping on the floor, instead of the bed. G hadn't even known that was one of the rules. There were so many! How was a little seven-year-old kid supposed to remember all of them? _

_Callen felt his body tense. The right side of his chest burned every time he took a breath. He focused on his breathing, willing it to slow down so the pain would stop. He had to calm down and figure out what happened. What rule did I break this time?_

_G thought back to what had happened that day, just after he got in from school. He had ducked his head and tiptoed past his fighting foster parents. He remembered the relief he'd felt when he made it to the bedroom that he shared with his two foster brothers. Jake and Tommy rode the junior high bus and G knew they would already be there. At least he wouldn't have to listen to the terrible screaming alone._

_He remembered quietly closing the bedroom door behind him. Tommy was lying on the top bunk, the palms of his hands pressed tightly over his ears. Jake, the oldest, was just sitting on his bed that was against the opposite wall. He looked like a statue, just sitting there, staring at the floor._

_Callen had knelt down by the bottom bunk, reached under his bed, and pulled out his old stuffed animal. He sat on the bed, clutching his bunny to his chest, waiting for the yelling to stop. He knew he was too old to still have his rabbit, but he had had it since he was five, and it was the only thing that actually belonged to him. It had been with him every time he had to change orphanages or houses. Whenever G was upset or scared, he would rub the fabric of the bunny's long floppy ears between his thumb and fingers. Some day he would get rid of his old bunny… just not today._

_The fighting in the other room had seemed to go on longer than usual. Whoever was in trouble this time, it must be bad. G recalled pulling his knees into his chest. He held on tighter to the stuffed animal with his left hand, and continued to rub on one of the soft, fuzzy ears with his right. He hoped that when he got a little older, he wouldn't need his bunny. Maybe by the time he turned eight, he would know all the rules – then maybe his real family would want him back and come for him._

_When the yelling had finally ceased, Jake slowly raised his head and he looked at Callen. Jake didn't look like a statue anymore… he looked sad. Jake shook his head and then opened his mouth to speak. 'G. Why did you have to tell 'em? You know they'll beat you harder.'_

_Callen didn't understand. Just as he was about to ask Jake what he was talking about, the bedroom door flew open. G was jerked up by the front of his shirt. He remembered flying through the air, losing his grip of his old bunny, and then his body hitting the wall in the hall. His vision had gone dark for several seconds and he could hardly hear anything over the ringing in his ears. _

_Everything after that was a blur. He recalled being hit and punched and kicked, over, and over, and over. And someone was yelling at him, cursing at him! It was Mr. Garrison. He was so angry! He was saying something about the nurse at school and called G a 'sniveling little tattle tale.'_

_G had wanted to plead with his foster dad to stop, to tell him he didn't tattle about anything, but the wind had been knocked out of him. Every time he tried to cry out, there would be another blow to his ribs or his back. He couldn't breathe! _

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

Anna watched helplessly as her patient's nightmare apparently intensified. He seemed to be struggling to breathe. She prayed he would not wake up on her watch. After witnessing Hetty's response to him earlier, when he had woken up distraught, not knowing where he was, and speaking in a foreign language, Anna feared she would not be able to adequately console him.

She had no more had that thought when Hetty walked through the door. Taking in what was happening in an instant, the petite woman rushed to the bedside and stood next to Anna.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^

_Callen fought even harder to open his eyes. I need to go! _

_What if that 'social worker lady' tells him he has to go back to live with the Garrisons? What if she puts him with a family that's worse… one that has even __more__ rules? _

_I have to get out of this bed! _

_He finally got his eyes to open. He looked around for the only thing that could give him comfort. His bunny! But where is it? He had to find his bunny so he could run away!_

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^

All at once, Callen gripped the bedrail and tried to sit up. He winced, cried out in pain, and his body fell limp to the mattress. Both Hetty and the nurse leaned closer to his bedside, ready for nearly anything.

With panicked eyes, G stared up at Hetty's face. "Clettel," he whispered, breathlessly. "Trebuie să scape... Vor veni înapoi... Te rog ajuta-mă să găsesc Clettel." He begged in Romanian. (Have to get away… They'll come back… Please, help me find Clettel.) Taking a short breath, he repeated his last plea in English, "Please, help me find Clettel."

Hetty was caught off-guard. Before she had a chance to gather her thoughts, exhaustion filled Callen's blue eyes. He blinked slowly up at her several times, and then sleep quickly claimed him.

Stunned by what she had just seen and heard, Hetty practically stumbled backwards to the couch.

Anna worriedly observed her patient for another minute. When she was sure his restless movements had ceased, she quietly took a seat on the couch beside Hetty. After a long pause, she asked softly, "Is 'Clettel' a family member?"

Staring straight ahead, Hetty pursed her lips, took in a deep, steadying breath, and let it out slowly. "Gretel is a stuffed animal. Someone gave it to Mr. Callen when he was five years old, when he first arrived in the U.S. He couldn't say 'Gretel.' He carried that old, raggedy bunny with him everywhere." A sad smile appeared on Hetty's face. "By the time he was ten, he had rubbed almost all the fur off its ears."

The young nurse offered the only comfort she could. She gently laid her palm on Hetty's knee.

Hetty, in turn, placed her small hand on top of Anna's. Hetty was thankful for the human touch while she sorted out the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling at that moment. Callen's mention of the old stuffed animal, his use of the Romanian language, the frightened look in his eyes… she was certain Callen was reliving some traumatic event from his troubled childhood.

Hetty closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. At what point had she failed him? She wasn't sure anymore…


	9. Drugged

Chapter 9: Drugged

Hetty remained on the couch after witnessing Callen's nightmare. Anna had made sure she was comfortable, bringing her a pillow and another blanket. Hetty was utterly exhausted, but was unable to relax – her mind was racing. She knew from talking to Nate that the first five years of Callen's life were pretty much a blank. And she had never been quite sure how much of his remaining childhood he remembered.

But now, after what she had seen tonight, she was sure he had _vivid_ memories of his past. Hetty wished there was a magic wand, or a secret potion, that would make him forget all of the pain and loneliness he must have felt. Yet she knew, deep down inside herself, that it was those very experiences that made her Senior Agent… Well, made him _Callen_.

Hetty gave up on the idea of trying to sleep when she emerged from her thoughts, finding Callen to be restless again. She pushed the blankets off and came to a sitting position.

Hetty slid her feet into her shoes that were beside the couch, stood, and stretched. She folded the blankets, and had just laid them neatly beside the pillow when Anna came into the room.

"Couldn't sleep?" The nurse asked with an understanding smile.

"No. Not tonight." Hetty brought her hands out in front of her and rubbed them together briskly.

"Would you like some something warm to drink? Coffee maybe?"

"When you get time, a cup of hot tea would be nice."

"Let me check his vitals and I'll go to the nurses' station and get some."

After recording her sleeping patient's blood pressure and pulse rate, Anna turned to Hetty and said quietly, "His heart rate is still up. He's _still_ not resting well."

"Yes, I've noticed he's become more unsettled over the past little bit."

The nurse snapped a protective cover on an ear thermometer. When she inserted it into Callen's ear, he squirmed and weakly pushed her hand away. She furrowed her brow and used her free hand to block his hand. "He's due for another dose of Theradin soon. But I was hoping to hold off until closer till time for his MRI – there's that window of time, right after he takes it, that he sleeps more soundly."

Despite Callen's weak, unconscious attempts to move her hand away and move his head away, Anna succeeded, the second time, in getting the thermometer placed long enough to get a read-out.

"Any fever?" Hetty asked.

"No. Temperature's been normal all night."

Hetty let out a short breath through her nose. "Well, at least there's that," She said flatly.

Anna checked the IV bags and made her way to the other side of the bed. She slipped a pair of scissors from her scrub top pocket, cut, and then removed the elastic wrap from Callen's left arm from where she had drawn blood earlier.

The nurse walked toward the doorway and discarded the cotton and wrap. She looked back at Hetty. "Do you put anything in your tea?"

"No. Just plain, please."

After the nurse walked out, Hetty sat down on the couch, holding her breath, a practice she had picked up while a young agent. It helped to calm her nerves to practice something simple as such from back then. Seated, Hetty took a silent deep breath that filled her lungs, her eyes landing on Callen's face. Then she let it out through her lips. She felt haunting thoughts of the past attempting to return. Not just thoughts of_ his_ past, but, also, of hers. She had let him down. Would she ever seek forgiveness? Or would she just keep trying to take care of him without _seeming_ to take care of him? To make good on the old promise…

Anna returned ten minutes later, carrying the setup for tea. She sat the Styrofoam cup of hot water and a wrapped teabag on the small table. "I know this isn't a proper cup for sipping tea."

"Oh, this is perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Just then, Callen moaned softly and shifted slightly in bed. Both women watched with concern as his brow furrowed and then slowly relaxed.

"I don't believe it will be long until he wakes up," Hetty said quietly. "He's starting to show signs of pain."

"I think you're right. That doesn't look like a nightmare. If you think he can hang on that long, I'll postpone his pain medicine by about an hour. They just posted the MRI schedule for today. Mr. Callen is on there for 5:30 this morning. That way he will be gone for his test during the time the Theradin is the most effective."

Hetty nodded. "That sounds like a good plan."

"I'm going to cover C.J.'s patients so he can go down with Mr. Callen and assist with the transfers. We have some new Radiology techs and… Well, we just want to make sure."

Anna was interrupted by another moan. Callen grimaced before opening his eyes.

Hetty stood and walked to the side of the bed and placed her hand on his right forearm. "Mr. Callen?"

Callen looked at her with unfocused eyes but did not respond. Then, he suddenly sucked in a small breath and his eyes squeezed tight from pain. After several seconds, he released the breath he was holding and his features relaxed as he fell asleep again.

Hetty sighed, shaking her head sadly.

The young nurse laid a consoling hand on Hetty's shoulder for a moment. "Drink your tea. It will warm you up," She said softly before leaving the room.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V

Anna returned forty-five minutes later with the third dose of Theradin. She found Hetty standing at the bedside and the patient looking cautiously around the room, seemingly puzzled by his surroundings.

Hetty turned and gave the nurse who came up to the bedside a concerned look. "He hasn't said a word. And I'm not sure he even knows who I am. He appears to be even more disoriented than before."

Anna bit her lower lip. "I'll have to agree. I'll make a note in the chart for the day shift to call Dr. Lee and let him know."

"You'll be getting off at 7:00?" Hetty inquired while pouring a cup of water.

"Yes. Landon is scheduled to relieve me," Anna said and then raised the head of the bed.

Hetty tried to hide her worry, but was, frankly, too exhausted to school her emotions.

Anna smiled at her softly. "I'll be back at 3:00 this afternoon… to work another double. They have a place here in the hospital where we can shower and sleep when we work compressed weekends. So I won't be far."

"I know you have to rest. You've been working for fourteen hours straight. The other two nurses _have_ provided excellent care." Hetty turned her attention to Callen and stroked the side of his face, once, with the back of her fingers. "It's just that you have been able to break through those old, stubborn walls."

Callen squinted up at the tiny woman who had just touched his face, studying her eyes, as if trying to figure something out.

Hetty picked up the fresh cup of water and held it to Callen's mouth.

He hesitated at first, gazing up at her blankly. But when the cup was tilted so that water began trickling into his mouth, he instinctively took a drink.

"There you go." Hetty said, doubting her dazed agent could comprehend her at the moment. "Take another sip so your mouth's not so dry. It will make it easier for your medicine to go down."

Callen took another sip and began scanning the room, once again.

Hetty placed the Styrofoam cup in Anna's outstretched left hand, and took the blue capsule from the medicine cup the nurse was holding in her right. Placing her hand on Callen's lower jaw, Hetty turned his head slightly toward her and pushed the pill into his mouth.

Callen frowned at her and raised his left hand toward his mouth.

"Oh, no you don't." Hetty said, gently batting his hand away and then reaching for the cup that Anna was holding. "We're not going to go through this again, are we?" She put the cup to Callen's lips and gave him a drink. "Now, swallow."

Staying his hand, Callen continued to scowl up at Hetty, but swallowed.

"Here." Hetty raised the cup to his mouth again. "Take another drink. I don't want you fishing that thing out of your mouth in a minute." Hetty was fairly certain the capsule had gone down by the second swallow. Callen's left arm lowering to rest his hand on his stomach backed her thoughts. She looked at Anna. "I think we're good."

"Alright, then. I'm counting on the Theradin to make him sleep for a while. They should be in, within the next half hour, to take him down for the test."

"What will happen if he's too restless to lie still for the test?"

"Dr. Lee left a light sedative ordered as a precaution. But he really wanted to avoid giving it to him while on the new pain meds. The Theradin builds up in the system and doesn't mix well with other medications."

Hetty looked at Callen and sighed. "Let's hope this does the trick, then."


	10. Survival Mode

Chapter 10: Survival Mode

Within fifteen minutes of taking the third dose of Theradin, Callen was out.

Hetty was thankful he was resting peacefully for the moment. But she couldn't help but worry about his current state of mind. She felt like they had gone back to square one – to the day they brought him to the hospital – scared and confused. Hetty knew to expect mood swings and memory lapses after a head injury. But this was different. Something was off.

Nurse Anna shared the same nagging feeling. The patient was either reacting negatively to the pain medication, or the injury to his brain was progressively getting worse. She would definitely have to stress this point to Landon when he came on duty.

At 5:20, Anna entered the room, followed by C.J. and two techs from radiology. Both techs, wearing navy scrubs, looked to be in their early twenties. The shorter of the two was red-headed, baby faced, and freckled. The other had dark brown hair that was slicked back with jell. He was about C.J.'s height, but much thinner. Anna held back a grin, thinking that it would take two of the slender young man to match C.J.'s muscular body build.

Hetty, attempting to stay out of their way, took a seat in the corner, on the far end of the vinyl couch.

Anna turned off the IV pump and disconnected the long IV tube from the short piece of tubing attached to the plastic needle still inserted in the back of Callen's hand. She secured the short tube and the needle with several strips of paper tape. Quickly scanning the multiple bruises and marks on her patient's arms, she added a couple extra strips of tape for good measure. She hated the thought of this man having to be stuck with another needle.

Anna turned, took the clipboard that the taller tech had been holding, and addressed Hetty. "There's no mention in Mr. Callen's medical history of metal plates, pins, or screws. And nothing showed up in his x-rays. But, because the MRI uses such a strong magnetic field, we are required to ask about metal implants and pacemakers."

Hetty shook her head. "No pacemaker. In all the times he's been patched up, I don't believe they have ever used pins or screws."

The nurse made a mark on the paper fastened to the clipboard. "Shrapnel?"

"It's likely that there are some bullet fragments here and there. But he had an MRI in May 2009 without incident."

"Good." Anna laid the clipboard on the table beside the bed. She lowered the bed rail and then stepped out of the way to allow room for the gurney that was being wheeled in by one of the techs.

C.J. took Anna's place next to the bed. He pulled the covers to below Callen's feet and then maneuvered the gurney up even with the side of the bed. He motioned, with his head, for the techs to approach the patient from the other side of the bed. After giving the young techs instructions on performing a "safe draw sheet transfer," Callen was moved to the gurney.

Hetty, carefully watching from the corner of the room, felt a tug at her heart. Her lead agent, who was known to be a light sleeper, ready to spring into action at any time, looked like a rag doll as he had just been effortlessly lifted and moved. Lying on the gurney dressed only in pajama pants and a loose fitting hospital gown, he seemed small and defenseless.

Anna moved the gurney away from the bed a couple of feet and worked her way into the space she had made. She pulled Callen's gown above his waist and lightly ran her fingers along the waistband of his pants. "No snaps. I think we're good to go." Anna replaced the gown in position. She covered Callen with a sheet and light blanket, tucking the excess material between the mattress and the metal frame.

Anna retrieved the clipboard from the table and handed it to the male nurse. "C.J., when it comes time to inject the contrast material, ask them to use the IV catheter that's already in place."

"Sure thing."

"And thank you for agreeing to go down with him."

"Not a problem. Oh... I'll have to turn my cell phone off before they start the MRI. So if you need me, you'll have to call the control room directly. Guys, what's that extension?" he asked, turning to the radiology techs.

"Fourteen, eighty-eight." The red-head responded.

Anna raised the rail on her side of the gurney and Callen was wheeled out of the room.

Hetty stood and stretched her arms out in front of her. "I believe I'll go down to the waiting area and get a bite to eat."

"Good idea. I'll ask someone to come and change out the sheets and clean the room while there's no one in here."

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^^V^^^^

Down in Radiology, Callen was transferred onto the movable imaging table by C.J. and the tall, brunette tech. Small padded devices were placed on either side of his head for stabilization and a wide Velcro strap was wrapped around his upper body, securing his chest and upper arms.

The red-headed tech rolled the gurney out of the room and carried the clipboard to the Radiographer, a medium build, dark-skinned man who was seated in the control room.

With the push of a button, the patient was slowly moved, head-first, into the cocoon of the imaging unit.

C.J. and the taller tech joined the other two in the control room and closed the door.

The Radiographer flipped on the closed-circuit TV camera so he could keep an eye on the patient from where he sat, and the imaging unit was activated.

After twenty minutes, the initial set of scans was completed and the table Callen was lying on was moved out of the cocoon.

The Radiographer rolled a small cart of supplies out into the imaging room and positioned it at Callen's right side. He was setting up to prepare for the next series of scans when he noticed C.J. was at his side. He reported to the tall nurse, "He hasn't moved a muscle. You said he hasn't been sedated?"

"No. Just pain medicine. But his primary nurse said it doesn't last all that long."

"Then it's a good thing we don't have to take the time to start an IV." The Radiographer cleaned the end of the tube in Callen's hand with an alcohol swab, picked up a syringe, and injected saline solution into the IV catheter.

"His nurse was hoping it would buy us a little time," C.J. said, handing a second syringe to the Radiographer. "She wasn't sure you would be able to find a good vein, as many times as they tried to start one in the ER."

Just as the contrast material was being injected into Callen's vein, one of the techs yelled from the control room. "C.J.! You just got a call from the floor! Something about a doctor needing the results of some lab work he ordered? Anna needs you to call her."

"Okay. Thanks!"

"Oh... and uh... I could hear the doctor in the background. He sounds pretty ticked off."

C.J. looked up at the Radiographer with a look of doom. "I need to take care of this." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up in the air. "This may take a while. I'll be right outside the door if you need me."

"Sure. We should have him out of here in about twenty minutes."

The male nurse stepped outside into the hall and turned on his cell phone. He had just punched in the number for the nurses' station when he saw the red light above the door light up, indicated the scans were about to continue. Anna answered the phone just as the noisy MRI unit started up again on the other side of the door. "Hey, Anna. So I'm in hot water with Dr. Turner, huh?"

"_I guess you could say that. He's been tearing through Mrs. Hernandez's chart and can't find her lab results. I tried to bring it up on the computer but apparently we are still having technical issues. I called the lab and they said they already sent it up."_

"They did. But the Currier delivered it to the wrong floor. Gail faxed it from the second floor and, unfortunately, I picked the papers up off the fax machine on my way down here. They're in my pocket. Sorry. I sure wasn't expecting Dr. Turner to make rounds this early on a Saturday."

"_Well, he's going out of town for wedding. I don't think he's too happy with his wife about having to give up his golf day. He's grumpier than usual. He's in with Mr. Ward right now. If you have a way to get the papers out of the testing room, I'll send someone down to get them."_

"Actually, I'm right outside the MRI room. There's a fax machine here in Radiology. Give me a minute and then call me back so I know you got it. It's two pages."

C.J. disconnected the call, practically sprinting off to the office, mind focused on getting the report to Anna.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^^V^^^^

The Radiographer was intently studying the images he was receiving from the scan of Callen's head when he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and stared at the TV monitor beside him. There it was again: the patient flinched.

Then, all of the sudden, Callen's eyes opened wide. He had gone from sound asleep to full-blown panic in a matter of seconds. G began to wiggle as much as he could within the tube of the imaging unit. The machine was noisy and the space was so confining that his fear only intensified.

The Radiographer hit the emergency cut-off switch and shouted, "I'm shutting it down! Pull him out! Pull him out!" He activated the mechanism to move the bed out of the tube.

The taller tech darted from the control room to the scanning machine, finding the bed was moving out of the scanning tube. He positioned himself between Callen's left side and the wall and waited for the moving table to finish bringing the patient out. Even though Callen's upper body had not yet emerged, the young tech could see that he was frantically trying to get out of the tight space.

Callen bucked his lower body several times, attempting to free himself from whatever was holding his head and chest.

The table came to a stop. The patient was clearly in distress. His chest was heaving and he was fighting against the head restraint and the strap across his chest.

In an effort to calm the patient, the tech quickly removed the device that was stabilizing Callen's head.

But Callen did not calm down. His breathing became even more erratic. His eyes were taking in everything furiously and with an alarmed look. He reached up with his left hand and pulled on the strap that was wrapped around his upper body. Callen then scooted his body down, quickly squirming his way out from under the chest strap that was still fastened.

The brunette tech felt like he was in a bad dream. It was all happening so fast. The patient was trying to sit up. The tech reached toward the table and, with both hands, firmly grasped Callen's shoulders. He couldn't let this man fall off of this high table.

Before the tech had time to react, G swung at him with a right hook, punching him square in the nose.

The young man clutched his bloody face with his hands. Stunned, he stumbled backward and leaned against the wall.

With all his strength, and in one motion, Callen rolled his body to his right, swung his legs off the table, letting out a loud, guttural groan in the process. He slid from a semi-sitting position to standing on the floor. His right leg immediately collapsed beneath him and he tumbled forward. Not able to catch himself with his right arm, his forehead hit the tile floor with a sickening thud.

Callen, rolled to his left, the untied hospital gown slipping completely off his right arm. He shut his eyes tight from pain. Blood trickled down the side of his face from a fresh gash on his head. He began desperately trying to scoot toward the door.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^^V^^^^

C.J. was approaching the door, finishing up his conversation with Nurse Anna, when he noticed the red light above the door was not illuminated. "Anna. I think something's wrong. The "test in progress" light is off and they shouldn't be already finished with the contrast scans."

With the phone still up to his ear, C.J. opened the MRI room door.

"_C.J.?... What's wrong?... C.J.!"_

C.J. could not believe his eyes.

Callen was on the floor, on his left side, with the red-headed tech in a headlock. The taller tech was trying to pull his coworker from the patient's grip. But his hands were slick with his own blood and kept slipping. "Oh, crap! I gotta go! We need a sedative. STAT!"

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^^V^^^^

Anna's hands began to shake. She hurried to the nearest nurses' aide. "Heather. There's a problem with one of the patients down in MRI. Go get Miss Lange form the waiting area and take her there as quickly as possible. Take the service elevator. I'll be right behind you."

Anna dashed to the medication room, hoping with all her heart that this was just a case of her patient waking up in the tight MRI cocoon and not knowing where he was. But she feared there was more – C.J. was clearly shaken.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^^V^^^^

While Hetty, the aide, and Anna were making their way to the ground floor, Callen continued his fight to escape. And now, big, strong C.J. was in the mix.

C.J. had rushed into the room when he saw the chaos. He knew he had to get the tech out of the choke-hold... his face was turning red from lack of oxygen. But doing this without causing the patient more injury was going to be next to impossible.

C.J. was glad it was Callen's left forearm wrapped around the young man's neck because, unfortunately, he was about to have to inflict some pain. With his toes pointing toward Callen's head, the tall nurse quickly placed his feet on either side of the patient's hips. Careful to avoid the body of the tech caught in a death-grip, C.J. knelt down. Now, with his knees straddling G's waist, he laid his left palm on Callen's right shoulder and began applying downward pressure, forcing Callen to roll from his left side onto his back. With his right hand, he grabbed the patient's left thumb. Pinching down on the pressure point of Callen's hand, he painfully twisted his forearm, until Callen cried out and released the young red-head.

Callen grunted, straining against the large hands that were now gripping his forearms, forcing his hands down to the floor on either side of his head, in the surrender position. Callen could not see beyond the huge form hovering over him, but he could feel smaller hands restraining his legs. He drew up his left leg, and in one last act of desperation, he kicked as hard as he could, sending the Radiographer sailing backward.

C.J., left vulnerable now that no one was securing the patient's legs, extended his right leg back, and pressed his shin down on the patient's left hip.

Callen needed to escape! Breathing frantically, he twisted and strained but could not free himself!

Hetty entered the room just as Callen cried out in pain and frustration. The sound sent shivers down her spine. She quickly knelt down beside him, needing him to make eye contact with her, but knowing better than to touch him. Her agent was in survival mode; a drug-induced survival mode, at that. She was not even sure he would recognize her in this state.

"Mr. Callen!" Hetty called with authority.

Callen turned toward the familiar voice that had just shouted his name. His struggling against C.J.'s hold lessened and his frightened eyes locked into face of the small woman next to him. "Hetty," He breathed out. "They found me," He said in Russian.

"_Who_ found you, dear?"

Callen strained against C.J.'s grip and grimaced.

With the hospital gown hanging only on his left shoulder, Hetty could see the frantic rise and fall of Callen's bare chest. He was terrified of something.

Anna hurried into the room and knelt down at Callen's right side.

G looked up at the nurse. Anna also noted the rapid breathing and the fear in his eyes. Blood was smeared on his arms and torso and there was a new wound to his head. What had happened to her patient?

"Mr. Callen!" Hetty said again, sharply.

G turned his head and, once again, looked into her face.

"Mr. Callen. _Who_ found you?"

Callen swallowed hard, catching his breath so that he could speak. "Bratva." (_Brotherhood.)_

Hetty could not help the confused sympathy that entered her gaze. "No, Mr. Callen. You are not in Moscow. You are home."

Callen strained to sit up, only causing C.J. to tighten his hold. "Pochemu vy… vrat'? Oni Zachvatili menya. Pozhaluysta, pomogite mne. Oni budut muchit' menya!" (_Why you… lie? They captured me. Please help me. They will torture me!)_

Hetty shook her head. "No one is going to torture you. You are in a hospital. You're safe."

Callen suddenly gasped. His lips parted and his eyes grew even wider. Holding his breath, he slowly turned his head to the right till his eyes found the source of the strange sensation in his arm: The blonde woman, dressed like a nurse, was injecting something into his hand.

"No," he whispered, staring at the medicine being forced into his vein. He needed to escape but the drug was already taking away any fight he had left. He looked up at Anna. His mouth opened as if he was going to speak, but all that came out was a faint grunt.

Callen slowly turned and looked at Hetty. He shook his head. "Hetty," He said softly.

"Please, Mr. Callen. Just relax." Hetty stroked the left side of Callen's face. "Ty v bezopanosti." _(You are safe.)_

Callen's breathing was still strained, but his breaths were now at a slower rate. Still looking up at Hetty, his eyes began to blink heavily. "Hetty," He whispered. "Pochemu ty pomogayesh' im?" _(Why are you helping them?)_

Hetty felt like her insides had crumbled. She lowered her head. The look of betrayal in Callen's eyes was unbearable.

Callen went limp in C.J.'s grasp. He blinked two more times and closed his eyes.

The enemy had won.


	11. Aftermath

Chapter 11: Aftermath

The MRI room suddenly became still and quiet. It was as if the world stood still for a moment. Hetty sat back on her heels, soaking in the aftermath.

She could see the young brunette tech standing just to her right. He was, once again, clutching his broken nose with both bloody hands.

The red-head sat nearby. He was staring down at the floor, trying to catch his breath, his eyes troubled.

The Radiographer remained seated on the floor from where he had been kicked backward, breathing hard through his nose.

C.J. still straddled the patient, but had released his grip of Callen's forearms. He was frowning at all the blood, and the situation, in general.

Anna was kneeling at Callen's right side, holding the empty syringe.

Hetty looked down at her unconscious agent who seemed to be fighting for his life just a few moments ago. Hetty slowly shook her head at the sight before her now. Callen was lying on his back, his limp arms still out to the sides in the surrender position. His head, chest, and arms were bloody. The fight had left him as quickly as it came.

Anna finally let out a breath of relief and was the first to speak, "I need to get us some help down here. C.J., do you have your cell phone on you?"

"In my top pocket. You'll have to get it. My hands are too bloody."

Anna fished the phone out of C.J.'s scrub pocket.

The Radiographer slowly climbed to his feet. "I'll call our director. He needs to know what's happened."

Anna laid the syringe out of the way and punched in the number for the nurses' station. "Carrie? This is Anna. We've had an incident down in the MRI with the patient in 412. I need you to call the charge nurse on three and ask if she can loan us a couple of aides to help us transfer the patient back to the gurney so we can get him cleaned up… There's a lot of blood so they'll need to gown up. And, we're going to need to move pretty fast. The patient is sedated right now, but he won't be out long… Thanks. I need someone to go to the supply closet and have several packages of four-by four gauge and some Steri-strips ready. And would you call me right back and give me Dr. Lee's phone number?... Thank you, Carrie."

A tall gentleman in dress pants and a button-up dress shirt, sleeves rolled up a little, came through the door. "I'm Matt Keller, Radiology Director," He said while quickly scanning the room. "What happened here?"

The Radiographer stepped out of the control room. "Mr. Keller. Thanks for coming so fast."

"Terrance. What happened?"

"We were almost done with the contrast scan when the patient regained consciousness in the chamber. We got him out as fast as we could, but he was scared to death. Came out swinging. He tried to get up and rolled off the table."

Mr. Keller looked down at Anna, who was still seated beside the patient. "Head injury patient?"

"Yes. And he apparently had a reaction to the new pain medicine."

"Do you need me to get some of our staff in here to help get him up?"

"I've called the floor. They should be sending some people down."

The Director looked over to his employee that was holding his busted nose. "Adam, I'll walk you up to the ER so you can get checked out. Anyone else hurt?"

The Radiographer pointed to the red-head. "The patient had Eric in a choke-hold for a while."

Mr. Keller nodded and turned, addressing the Radiographer. "Terrance, after everyone's taken care of, I'll need you to fill out an incident report. Just leave it on my desk when you're done." The Director motioned with his head for the two young techs to go with him and they followed him out of the room.

The room fell silent, once again. C.J. rose to his feet, stepped across Callen, taking a seat on the floor beside Anna. He gazed over at the patient and let out a long breath. "With the severity of his injuries, _how in the world_ was he able to fight us like that?"

With her eyes still locked on her agent, a small smile appeared on Hetty's face. "Years of training… and a tidal wave of adrenalin."

C.J. shook his head. "He thought we were the enemy," He said softly, as if talking to himself.

"Hence, the adrenalin." Hetty pursed her lips. She knew that Callen was dangerous. This entire thing had driven the point home to any part of her mind that might have wondered just _how _dangerous. She sighed softly.

The cellphone buzzed in Anna's hand and she looked at the screen. "A text from Carrie. She says the second floor is sending Will and we're getting Joey and Melinda from three. They're on their way… Carrie's good." The phone buzzed again for a second text. "Here's the doctor's number."

Anna read the numbers and then punched them in. Relief was on her face when the doctor answered. "…Dr. Lee. This is Anna Harris from Four B. I'm sorry to call you at such an early hour, but we've run into some trouble with Mr. Callen. It seems he has had a bad reaction to the Theradin. He's been gradually becoming more disoriented. He woke up during the MRI and was combative and experiencing hallucinations. I had to sedate him to prevent him from hurting himself any further… Yes. About a three centimeter cut to his forehead from hitting the floor… Sure. We're still down in Radiology but we should have him cleaned up and back to the room by the time you arrive… Thank you."

Just as the nurse pocketed C.J.'s phone, a male nurses' aide entered the room wearing a yellow, disposable gown. He was soon followed by the male and female aides from the third floor. They were also dressed in paper gowns.

Hetty, C.J. and Anna all stood up and Hetty moved to the side.

"Thanks, guys, for getting down here so fast," Anna said to the aides who were now putting on their gloves. "If one of you would roll the gurney back in here, C.J. and I will help lift the patient. We need to take him upstairs and get the blood rinsed off of him."

The female aide brought the gurney in from the hall, and Hetty watched as the two nurses, and the three aides, carefully lifted Callen onto it. The side rails were raised and the patient was covered with a sheet.

Anna picked up the empty syringe from off the floor and dropped it into the red box mounted on the wall. She turned to her coworker who had blood, from the radiology tech's nose and from Callen's head wound, smeared on his hands and clothes. "C.J., if you want to go clean up, I think we have this."

"Okay. It's close to shift change. After I've washed up and changed, I'll head back to the unit to give report."

C.J. left to change into clean scrubs. Then Callen was wheeled out of the room by Anna and the aides. The Radiographer headed to the control room to call housekeeping, leaving Hetty standing alone in the room. She stared down at the bloody mess on the floor for a moment. She couldn't help the twinge of guilt she felt for insisting Callen take the Theradin. Instead of helping him relax and reducing his pain, the medication caused him to be confused and afraid. _How many times have his blasted instincts been more accurate than my logic?_

After a moment, Hetty exhaled slowly, turning and exiting the MRI room. She slowly strolled toward the elevator. There was nothing she could do now but wait… and hope… and pray that the worst was over.


	12. Poison

Chapter 12: Poison

Hetty had been waiting in Callen's hospital room for about thirty minutes when the three aides who had taken him from the MRI room brought him in. He was still unconscious, but it was apparent from the groan that escaped when he was lifted onto the bed: the sedative was wearing off.

Hetty could see that he had been cleaned up and changed into a fresh gown. His short hair was wet and three Steri-Strips had been used to close the cut on his forehead. Hetty retrieved a pair of flannel pajama pants from the closet, handed them to one of the aides, and stepped out of the room.

A few minutes later, Anna came down the hall to Callen's door and Hetty followed her into the room.

The aides had just raised the rails and covered the patient. Anna thanked them for their assistance and they left the room, taking the empty gurney with them.

While Anna checked Callen's vital signs, Hetty walked to the opposite side of the bed. She was unsettled by how pale his skin appeared against his wet hair and the bruises on his face and arms. She reached up and tried to wipe away a bit of white residue at the corner of his mouth.

Anna looked up from the blood pressure cuff she was holding. "Oh. Let me get a washcloth. That's mouthwash. I swabbed his mouth, awhile ago, when we were washing him off." The nurse went into the bathroom and returned with a wet cloth. She gently dabbed the corners of his mouth, careful to avoid the cut in the middle of his bottom lip.

Landon, who had just come on duty, walked into the room, nodding a greeting to Hetty, and moved to the bedside. He handed Anna a small package he was holding, a somber look on his face. "C.J. said you requested this."

"Yes. Thanks. I wanted to stabilize his wrist before connecting his IV. He's moving that hand way too much."

"We should have splinted him when he came in through the ER." Landon said, exhaling. "Sorry."

"That's alright. Who'd have thought he'd be able to move around this much with a broken wrist?" Anna took the IV splint-board out of the package, placed it on the palm side of the patient's hand and wrist.

With eyes still closed, Callen grimaced and moaned, pulling his arm away from the female nurse.

Landon carefully reached and held Callen's arm still while Anna secured the splint with Velcro straps. After releasing the patient's arm, Landon looked at Anna with concern. "You look exhausted. You need to go get some sleep so you'll be ready for duty at three."

All eyes went to Callen as he took in a quick breath, let out a raspy groan, and then mumbled something in Russian.

Hetty placed her hand on his left forearm. "Shhh."

Anna continued when the patient had relaxed. "I'm staying until I can talk to Dr. Lee. I want to tell him, first-hand, what's been going on."

Anna reattached the IV tubing to Callen's hand and had just set the IV pump machine when Dr. Lee entered the room. The nurses stepped aside.

With his brow furrowed, and eyes glued on his sleeping patient, the doctor hurried to the bedside. He stared at Callen for a moment and then looked at Anna. "You feel pretty certain this was a reaction to the Theradin?"

"Yes, Sir. He became progressively more disoriented as the night went on. I thought, at first, it was just the nightmares Monica had noted in his chart."

The hospital room door opened and Deeks cautiously stepped inside. Seeing Callen surrounded by medical staff, he hesitated.

Hetty moved to the corner of the room, at the foot of the bed, and motioned for Marty to come join her.

Dr. Lee began studying the patient, once again. "You said on the phone that he was hallucinating?"

"Yes. Miss Lange would be better able to describe his thought processes... He was speaking in another language."

Dr. Lee raised his gaze from the hospital bed to the Operations Manager who was now standing in the corner with her detective.

Hetty let out a breath through pursed lips. "Yes, I too, at first, thought he was just dreaming. Earlier last night, he woke up asking for a stuffed animal he had as a child. But, every time he woke up, he was more disoriented… I don't think he even recognized me, at times."

"I gave him his third dose of Theradin, just before he went for the MRI." Anna explained. "I was hoping he would be out long enough for them to finish. But he woke up in the chamber of the machine. The staff in radiology said they got him out as quickly as possible, but he was terrified. They said he came out swinging. He rolled off the table fighting them; that's how he got the gash on his head. By the time I got down to him, he had punched one of the techs in the nose and had the other in a choke hold. "

"We were the enemy," Hetty said solemnly. "He thought he was on an assignment and that the Russian Mafia had captured him – that they were about to torture him…" Hetty closed her eyes. "And that I had betrayed him."

Deeks felt his jaw tighten, feeling slightly sick over what he was hearing. He knew Callen had seen things and done things that he didn't, or couldn't speak of. But, he never really thought about the things this private man must have gone through; the experiences, from before he was with NCIS, that haunted him. He tried to read how badly this was affecting his tiny boss, but all that he could see was her holding it together. His instincts told him that she was struggling with all that had happened, but he couldn't find an outward proof on her.

After several seconds of silence, Anna continued with her account of the incident. "One of our nurses had to hold Mr. Callen down while I administered the sedative… Dr. Lee. I'm really sorry that I didn't recognize the problem with the medication sooner."

"You can't blame yourself, Mrs. Harris." The doctor intoned, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "This is rare. I've only seen it once in all the times I have prescribed it, so I never thought to make a note of the warning signs. This was my responsibility. Unfortunately, it's going to take a while to get it out of his system. We won't be able to give him anything for pain or anxiety for 24 hours from the last dose of Theradin."

"That will be 5:30 in the morning, then," Anna stated, a slight sadness in her eyes.

"In the meantime, I will do some research on what would be best for him." The doctor leaned over and placed his palm on Callen's forehead, closely examining the new injury. "Did you close the wound?"

"Yes, Sir," Anna answered. "We cleaned him up – he had his blood, and the blood from the tech with the busted nose, all over him. I thought the Steri-Strips would decrease the chance of contamination until you could get here."

"I don't think I'll stitch him. The Steri-strips should hold. You did a good job."

"Thank you."

Dr. Lee straightened. "Any other new injuries?"

"I can't be sure since I wasn't in there when he fell. But I just put an IV splint on him. His wrist seems more swollen."

Dr. Lee picked up Callen's limp right arm and examined his wrist and hand. He met eyes with Hetty, gave her a small amused look, shaking his head. "His co-worker was right. He _does_think he's Superman. From the looks of these knuckles, he threw at least one good punch with this broken hand."

Hetty crossed her arms tiredly and gave a slight nod, inclining her head to the right. "When it comes to the 'fight-or-flight' mode, 'fight' is usually his response of choice."

"Agreed." Deeks echoed quietly. "The man does not run from danger."

"Any fever?" The doctor asked while pulling the bed sheets down to Callen's waist.

"Has not gone above 99.2." Anna responded.

Dr. Lee put his stethoscope in his ears and listened to the patient's heart for a few moments. "Who's the primary nurse today?"

"I am." Landon answered.

"Let's keep an eye on his heart rate. He's still a little revved-up."

"Will do."

"There's not a lot we can do about it right now. Can't give him anything to settle him down until in the morning. We'll just have to keep him as calm as possible until then."

Dr. Lee raised the bottom of Callen's gown and began examining his chest and stomach. He gently palpated the patient's abdomen.

Callen flinched and opened his eyes. With wide eyes, he stared at the man who was leaning over him. He looked down at Hetty who was still standing in the corner of the room. Then, from left to right, he slowly scanned the faces of each person standing around him. He looked down at the IV needle in his hand and then his gaze followed the tubing all the way up to the bag that was dripping medication into his vein.

"No," he breathed out and his breathing suddenly became frantic. Without warning, he reached over with his left hand, grasped the IV tube that was inserted in his right hand, and pulled.

Dr. Lee grabbed Callen's left hand and held it in place, preventing him from pulling the needle out.

Callen only fought harder. "No! Take it out!" He yelled, trying to yank his hand out of the doctor's grip.

Dr. Lee was losing his grip. "Need some help!"

Landon ran around to the other side of the bed. He reached across and pried the patient's fingers off of the tube, while Dr. Lee held on to the right arm.

With both shoulders and forearms now being forced down to the mattress, Callen became even more frightened. He began to squirm and kick his left leg. "Take it out," he panted.

Deeks, face dead serious, stepped up to the bed and secured G's left leg so that he could not move it. He hoped that they weren't all hurting Callen as he struggled.

"Need restraints!" The doctor said forcefully. "Four point!"

"Yes, Sir," Anna said breathlessly and ran from the room.

Within minutes, Anna was back in the room. She ripped open the four packages, letting the four cloth restraints fall to the bed beside the patient's right leg. She picked up one of the restraints and hurried around to Callen's left side.

G, breathing hard, watching Anna loop the cloth around his wrist and then tie it to bed frame at his waist. He watched her make her way to his left leg and secure his ankle to the bed, in the same way. With Deeks now out of the way, he could see Hetty. He shook his head. "Hetty," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "Oni otravlyayut mne." _They poison me._

Hetty stepped up to the left of his bed, her eyes suddenly full of empathy. "No, Mr. Callen. This is not poison. It is medicine – medicine to help you." Hetty felt as if her heart would break when a single tear spilled down onto Callen's face.

G turned his head to the right, looking down at the arm that the doctor was holding tight. He watched Anna tie his right wrist, and then right ankle, to the bed.

With all four extremities now bound to the bed, Callen's panic grew. He pulled against the restraints to no avail.

Hetty reached toward him and softly stroked the side of his face. "Mr. Callen. Please be still. No one here is going to cause you any harm."

But G was beyond reasoning with. He moved his face away from her and made an attempt to sit up in bed, roughly pulling the ties on his wrists. He stopped suddenly, closed his eyes tightly, and held his breath against the pain. His already pale face blanched, and his head collapsed back down to the pillow. He took several short gasps of air before opening his eyes.

Hetty forcibly took Callen's left hand in hers, held it firmly, and began speaking to him in Russian.

Deeks recognized her words as the Russian lullaby she had recited to him the day he was admitted to the hospital. He watched in amazement as his team leader began responding to her soft words.

Callen stared up into Hetty's eyes. He still appeared disoriented and scared, but began to relax. His breathing slowed and, by the time Hetty had finished with the lyrics, he was no longer pulling against the restraints. Too exhausted to fight any more, he closed his eyes.

Hetty waited a few moments and then carefully released his limp hand and replaced hers on top of his lower arm, above the restraint. She understood that he was still frightened and confused. She was grateful that, at least for the time being, he was calm.

Dr. Lee slowly and carefully pulled the hospital gown back down into place, and recovered his patient with the blankets, bringing the top of the covers to Callen's chest. He let out a sigh. "Restraining him is not optimal. It will just add to his anxiety. But additional medication is contraindicated at this point. I feel certain he would have pulled out the IV, and eventually injured himself again."

"I have to agree." Hetty intoned quietly. "His judgment is impaired. He knows who I am, but seems to be stuck at some point in his past."

Finally breaking his gaze from the patient, Dr. Lee turned to Landon. "Let's keep the restraints in place, at least until I make rounds this afternoon. Even if he seems to be more coherent, there is a strong possibility of residual effects from the medication."

Landon nodded, then asked, "Do you want me to cancel the order for physical therapy?"

"Yes. And please contact me as soon as you get the MRI report." The doctor took another look at the patient. "I know it will be a major challenge without the use of medication, but let's try to keep him calm and quiet."

Landon followed Dr. Lee out of the room.

Anna looked across the bed at Hetty. "I hate to leave him like this."

"I understand, my dear. I know you are tired. Get some good rest. We'll keep an eye on him."

"I know you will. See you at three." Anna smiled softly in farewell, turned, and left the room.

Hetty and Deeks stood silently at Callen's side, both feeling apprehension about the coming hours.


	13. Watch and Wait

Chapter 13: Watch and Wait

Breaking the silence, Deeks asked quietly, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hetty, realizing that Callen has drifted off to sleep for the moment, slowly removed her hand from his arm. She took a deep breath and moved tiredly to the couch.

Deeks took his cue to join her when she patted the space beside her on the couch. He sat down next to Hetty and waited for her to speak, wanting to help however he could, but guessing that she would try to be strong on her own.

Hetty raised her gaze to her injured Senior Agent, and then looked at Marty, her dark eyes flickering with a tired steadiness. "At the moment, I don't know of anything you could do to help him. I'm afraid it is just a waiting game."

Deeks lowered his head a little and looked up at Hetty through his eyebrows. "I meant you," He said softly, using the voice that he knew would get through her walls; a voice that reminded her he was trustworthy. "Is there anything I can do to help _you_?"

"Oh no, Mr. Deeks," Hetty replied, her voice wavering a little. "You need not worry about me. I'm just fine."

A hint of a grin appeared on the Detective's face. "I see where he learned it." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean."

"Callen. You've taught him well. He's almost as stubborn as you."

Hetty leaned forward, smiled faintly, and patted Marty on the knee. "Mr. Deeks. Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"

"No, Mam. I would never deliberately provoke you. I don't have a death-wish." Deeks paused, his expression becoming more serious. "What I _am_ trying to do is make sure you're alright… No offense, but you look like you could use some sleep. And I'm sure seeing Callen sick, confused, and tied to the bed is stressing you out. 'Cause, you know, after me, he _is_ your favorite."

"Now, Detective Deeks," Hetty protested, straightening up, a small indignant look coming over her features, "You know I don't have favorites."

"You don't." Deeks repeated, looking away. He pressed his lips together, then blinked, in his distracting way, then looked back at her. "You're not fooling anyone, Madam. Well, at least not me."

Marty knew he had gotten through when Hetty hesitated, taking in a deep breath though her nose and letting it out slowly. She turned her head toward the bed, her gaze lingering there for a moment before speaking. "I just feel powerless. It seems, every time things start solidifying in a decent manner, he takes another step back into deterioration."

"I assume you're not just talking about the physical?"

"You assume correctly. Whether from the drugs or from the head trauma, Mr. Callen has been reliving glimpses of his past. And I'm afraid, in his current state, he is just not fit enough to cope with those memories." Hetty laid both palms on her lap and took in another deep breath. "Mr. Deeks, Callen has constructed a wall between himself and the rest of the world, creating a safe place where there is no fear, no hurt, no rejection… He has been building that wall since he was a small boy. Watching helplessly, over the past several days, while that wall has crumbled…" Hetty closed her eyes and pressed her lips together.

Marty was at a loss for what to say. He did the only thing he could: he reached to his right and placed his palm over Hetty's hand that was resting on her thigh. They sat wordlessly for more than a minute.

Hetty eventually pulled her hand from beneath Marty's slowly and used both hands to take his hand and pat it. She gathered herself. "I'm sorry, Mr. Deeks. I should not have burdened you."

"Hetty. We're _all_ worried. You're allowed to worry, too. You're human… At least I think you are. You _are_ human… right?"

Hetty smiled at the young detective, knowing that this display of awkward humor was his way of dealing with the tension he was experiencing. "Someone in my position does not have the luxury of letting down their guard; it leaves one vulnerable."

"See? You really aren't that different from Callen."

"Oh, but I am. For me, it is a conscious decision." She looked over at the bed. "Mr. Callen developed this mindset by default; he simply knows no other way." She brought her gaze back to Marty. As she spoke carefully, he saw in her eyes a slight mourning. "If he expresses feelings, admits to pain, shows any degree of weakness, he is setting himself up to be hurt."

"Yeah, I've sort of noticed Callen's not the sharing type. Kinda like my partner?"

Hetty looked straight ahead and nodded strongly. "I believe they both live with an overwhelming sense of loss. Miss Blye lost the stability of family, and people she loved and who loved her. I think Mr. Callen's loss is never knowing that stability; always looking for those who might have loved him, and never finding them."

The conversation ceased when Callen let out a gasp. He shifted slightly in bed, and opened his eyes.

Hetty and Deeks both stood up and went to his side.

Hetty raised the head of the bed to a forty-degree angle and offered Callen water from a small Styrofoam cup.

Making no attempt to drink from the cup, Callen peered cautiously up at Hetty for several seconds. His gaze drifted over to Deeks, and his brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Danny?" His voice was small and unsure.

Marty turned to Hetty with wide, questioning eyes.

She gave him a slow, tiny, approving nod.

Deeks, still perplexed by his mistaken identity, made eye contact with the Senior Agent. "Yeah?"

Callen's eyes were suddenly red and watery. "Danny. They tied me up."

"I know, man. I'm sorry."

"Please let me go. I won't run away. I promise."

Deeks felt his heart sink all the way to the pit of his stomach. He was carrying on a conversation with a child form of Callen. He took a short breath and answered honestly, "I can't, G. They won't let me."

Callen frowned and turned his head away.

Everything in Marty wanted to pull the nylon webbing and release the restraints. But he forced himself not to, understanding that the doctor was only trying to prevent Callen from hurting himself again. Frustrated, Deeks ran his hand through his curly, blonde hair and let out a breath. "I promise you this. I won't let anyone hurt you while you're tied up. Okay?"

Callen did not respond. He began to blink more slowly. Still looking at the window beside him, his eyes became droopy, and finally closed.

Surprised that Callen had already passed out, Deeks waited several seconds and then breathed out. He turned to Hetty and asked in a whisper, "Who the heck is Danny?"

Hetty motioned, with a flick of her wrist, for Marty to follow her. She sat down on the couch and Deeks took a seat in the chair next to her.

"Danny," Hetty began slowly and quietly, "was a young man who volunteered at the Orphanage where Mr. Callen was first placed. He was working on his degree to be a Social Worker, and would come by after classes each day to help with the children."

Deeks quirked an eyebrow at Hetty. "Wait, how do you know this? I thought Callen never talked about this stuff."

Hetty looked at Marty with a trace of indignation. "Not _everything_ in Mr. Callen's file has been redacted.

Deeks peered back at her with a trace of skepticism. "Okay... So, you think I remind him of this Danny person or something?"

"Perhaps so. I know this young man was blonde, and about your height."

Marty's skepticism grew. "Right. And all of this is in Callen's file." At Hetty's scolding look for questioning her, he smiled at his Operations Manager. "So, this guy must have made an impression for Callen to remember him after all this time."

"Danny was like a big brother to these children. What Mr. Callen apparently does _not_ remember at the moment, is that Danny was killed one night while on his way to the Orphanage. He had collected money from the students at the college, to buy Christmas gifts for the children. Someone stabbed him and took the money."

Deeks stared down at his shoes and shook his head slowly. "That just stinks," He said bitterly. After a pause, Marty looked up and asked, "Have you called Sam to let him know what happened this morning?"

"No, I have not," Hetty responded softly, yet firmly. "And under no circumstances are you to contact him. He is exactly where he should be at this moment; with his family. I expect him here after he has delivered his wife and children to the airport."

The door opened. Deeks and Hetty looked up to see Kensi enter the hospital room.

Kensi stopped just past the entrance. She looked at Deeks, then Hetty, to the bed where Callen was sleeping, then back to her partner. She sensed the mood in the room was rather dark. "Hey, guys." She greeted softly.

Deeks got up from his chair and looked at Kensi as if she was his lifeline.

"How is he?" The female agent inquired. "Another rough night?"

"Rough is not a strong enough word," Deeks said, keeping his voice low. "Try 'turbulent.' No," He continued to ramble. "That's not bad enough, either. Maybe 'intense'… Yeah. That might cover it."

Kensi could see the concern in her partner's eyes. "How bad?"

Hetty, still seated on the small couch, let out a breath through her nose. "_Very_ bad, I'm afraid."

Concerned, since she had rarely heard Hetty use those words to describe anything, Kensi stepped up to the side of bed. "He's so pale." She whispered. "What happened to his head?"

Suddenly Kensi's phone buzzed and she looked down at an incoming text message. She turned and took a couple of steps toward her boss. "Hetty, Eric says he's been trying to contact you. Director Vance needs to speak with you. It's urgent."

Hetty got up from the couch, opened the bottom drawer of the small table next to the bed, and pulled out her small purse. After retrieving her phone, she opened it and read her messages. "It must be urgent for the Director to call Mr. Beale at home on a Saturday morning." Hetty closed her phone. "Please excuse me." She said, and then stepped out into the hall.

Deeks and Kensi sat down next to each other on the couch. While their Operations Manager was tending to the urgent matter, Deeks described to Kensi, as best he could, Callen's bad reaction to the pain medicine and the incident in the MRI room that morning.

Kensi glanced over to the bed. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Wow." She breathed out. "That doesn't even sound like him."

"That stuff really messed him up. One time he wakes up and he's speaking Russian and thinks he's still working for the CIA and is being held captive, and the next time he thinks he's a little kid and I'm someone he knows. It's crazy. I think it even has Hetty rattled."

Kensi stood up and walked to the side of the bed. She looked down at Callen and shook her head in disbelief.

"I got here just as they got him back in the room," Marty continued. "He woke up and started trying to pull his IV out. He thought he was being poisoned. I really think he would have climbed over the rails. The doctor had to call for restraints."

Kensi pulled back the covers enough to expose Callen's right wrist that was secured to the bedframe. "What?" She blurted quickly, and just a little louder than she meant to. She shook her head again. "Does Sam know about this?"

"No. Hetty ordered me not to call him. I'm pretty sure she would inflict bodily harm if I were to disobey her."

Kensi and Deeks turned and faced the door when they heard Hetty speaking with voice raised from the other side. "Did you tell them that I have an injured Agent in the hospital?" Hetty said loudly. "Leon, he's extremely disoriented. It's going to take all of us to help him find his bearings… Yes. I understand. Tell them I'll be there in less than an hour."

The hospital room door swung open and a somewhat flustered Hetty entered. "Miss Blye, Mr. Deeks. Unfortunately, my services are required at FBI Headquarters. They are waiting on the appropriate documents from NCIS so they can formally charge the man who made an attempt on Mr. Callen's life Tuesday."

Deeks' eyes widened. "But, Hetty, can't it wait? What if Callen wakes up and tries to escape or starts speaking in Russian or something?"

Hetty made her way to the opposite side of the bed and looked sadly at her Senior Agent before responding. "It troubles me to leave him. But, it is imperative that I complete these forms this morning. The FBI has only forty-eight hours to process the paperwork after taking a suspect into custody. Without the proper reports and signatures, they will have no choice but to release Sykes this afternoon."

Deeks let out a loud sigh but did not protest any further.

Hetty moved the covers away from G's left side, exposing his left forearm and hand. "Please watch him closely; especially his left hand. Mr. Callen has the ability to escape soft restraints."

Marty and Kensi traded a glance that asked, for real?

Hetty picked up her purse and walked to the door, turning to address Deeks and Kensi before leaving. "Oh, and I have my phone on, now. Please call me if there are any changes. Sam should be here within the next hour."

"Thanks, Hetty." Kensi said quietly from the bedside, very much aware of Hetty's reluctance to leave. "We'll take good care of him till Sam gets here."

When Hetty had gone, Deeks moved to the other side of the bed. He did not share his partner's confidence in their ability to take care of Callen while Hetty was away; he had seen, first hand, Callen's unpredictable state of mind. He looked across the bed to his partner's brown eyes.

Kensi tried to reassure him with a soft smile. Her smile quickly disappeared when she noticed Callen's eyes flutter open.

"Here we go," Deeks murmured under his breath.

Callen scanned the room, clearly not sure of where he was. He tried to move his arms, his breath hitching when he felt the resistance of the ties. He bent is left leg as far as the restraint would allow. The look in his eyes quickly changed from confusion, to fear. He looked up at the female to his right.

"Callen, it's okay," Kensi said with a gentle voice.

G turned his head and gazed up at the blonde man standing to his left. His brow furrowed in confusion. He gave the restraints another tug, turned his head back to midline, and lowered his eyes. Callen's body visibly relaxed. He now lay there, staring expressionless at the foot of the bed, as if he had given up.

Kensi looked across to her partner and shrugged.

Sharing Kensi's feeling of uncertainty, Deeks shook his head, not liking the situation, at all.

The two were still standing on either side of the bed, keeping watch, when Landon came into the room.

Kensi moved to the opposite side of the bed, beside Marty, to allow the male nurse space to attend to his patient.

"How is he doing?" Landon asked while hanging a new bag of IV solution.

"About the same." Deeks responded softly. "Don't think he knows what's going on. He doesn't act like he knows us."

"Dr. Lee said we should expect that for a while. Maybe by this afternoon…"

Callen's eyes shot up to the tall nurse, as if just noticing he was in the room. His fearful gaze drifted down to where Landon was connecting the new bag of solution. G dug his left heel into the mattress and tried to pull his body away from the nurse. Suddenly meeting the resistance of the restraints, Callen winced from the pain he had caused by his quick movement.

Landon studied Callen with concern.

The pain seemed to gradually subside. G relaxed, resuming staring blankly down at end of the bed.

The nurse looked up at the pair standing on the other side of the bed. "I'm going to defer checking vitals until he's more oriented. He just doesn't need the additional stress right now." After checking the patient's wrists and ankles for swelling and discoloration, Landon disposed of the empty IV bag and left the room.

Deeks and Kensi stood there in silence, both wondering what was going through Callen's mind, and hoping he would be back to normal soon. Seeing their Team Leader like this was rough.


	14. Sam Returns

Chapter 14: Sam Returns

Sam opened the door to the hospital room at around 9:30. He made eye contact with his younger coworkers who were standing on the other side of the bed facing the entrance. After stepping into the room, and easing the door shut, his gaze went to his partner, relieved to be back in his hospital room to see for himself how G was.

Callen was quietly staring with blank eyes at the wall in front of him. He slowly turned his head toward the door.

Seeing the new gash on Callen's forehead, Sam took quick strides to G's bedside. "What happened?" He asked with alarm in his voice.

Callen flinched. His lips parted slightly and he stared up at Sam with wide blue eyes.

Kensi wasn't sure what to say, and as she opened her mouth wordlessly, her partner moved. Deeks quickly made his way around to the other side of the bed, where Sam was standing. Marty placed his hand on the large agent's upper arm. "Sam—"

Not pausing or acknowledging he had been spoken to, the ex-SEAL shrugged Marty off. Sam gripped the top of the side rail with both hands, and scanned his partner quickly with narrowed and annoyed eyes. "Did you try to climb out of this bed?" He gruffly asked.

Callen, becoming more frightened by the second, began breathing in short inhales of air. He pulled against the restraints, trying to move away from the huge, angry man standing over him.

Kensi's wide eyes went from Sam, to Callen and how he was reacting, back to Sam, and then to her partner. She moved a foot closer to the bed, ready to lean across it to shelter Callen from Sam if need be, hoping that Marty would calm Sam down first, somehow.

Deeks turned, so that he was facing Sam, the backs of his thighs against the bed. Urgency in his eyes, he reached out and placed his hand on the Sam's shoulder, only to have it batted away. "Sam—"

Sam lowered his eyes looking over Callen's feeble movements in the bed. Now noticing Callen's wrists were tied to the bed, his expression became more intense. "G, what did you do?!" He asked loudly, causing Callen to startle and painfully pull back from him even more.

Deeks, eyes now even more determined, intervened fully, pushing his way between Sam and the bed. This time, he placed a firm palm in the middle of Sam's chest and drove the larger man back a couple of steps. "Sam! You're scaring him."

Taking a breath, Sam leaned to his left so that he could see around Deeks. Suddenly aware of the distress, confusion, and fear in his partner's moist eyes, he allowed Deeks to guide him back even more, and then out into the hall.

Deeks closed the door behind him and walked a few yards down the hall to where Sam had begun pacing.

Sam stopped abruptly and faced Marty, looking as if he were ready to explode. "Deeks, what happened to him?" He barked, shifting his weight to his right leg, his hands in fists.

Deeks put his hands on his hips and exhaled. "He had a reaction to the pain medicine."

"Reaction?!" Sam echoed more loudly than he intended. Lowering his voice to a forced whisper, he asked, "What do you mean, 'a reaction'?"

"They say he got more and more confused last night. Then he sort of freaked out."

"'Sort of'?" Sam repeated, becoming more irritated. "Deeks, he's restrained!"

Marty shifted his weight, looked away, crossed his arms, and then looked back at Sam. "He woke up while they were doing the MRI."

"Inside the machine?" Sam shifted his weight to the other leg and crossed his arms, unknowingly mirroring the smaller man.

"Yeah. Hetty said they got him out as fast as they could. But Callen thought he was being held captive by the Russian Mafia. He busted one guy in the face and choked another. He pretty much tried to tear the place up."

Sam wasn't surprised this had happened. He had seen his friend demonstrate incredible strength while banged up before. He nodded once, showing he understood. "And the gash on his head?"

"Fell off the table trying to fight them off."

Sam's features suddenly softened and remorse filled his eyes. He bit down on his lower lip, looked to the side, and shook his head slowly. "I should have been here," He said more quietly, but with a hint of irritation still in his voice. "He's my partner." Turning his eyes back toward Marty, he asked, "Why didn't someone let me know?"

"Sam," Deeks began, reaching up to grip Sam's massive shoulder. "It was Hetty's call. There was nothing you could have done, anyway... He doesn't even know who we are."

Sam closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and took in a deep, calming breath.

Deeks paused for a moment until Sam had, once again, made eye contact. "We good?" Marty asked, staring intently into the older man's brown eyes, as if searching for his thoughts.

Sam pressed his lips together, cut his eyes to the left, and let out a breath through his nose. Now gazing at the door to Callen's hospital room, Sam nodded once.

Deeks gripped Sam's shoulder even tighter before dropping his hand to his side.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^

As soon as Marty had escorted Sam out of the room, Kensi turned her attention to Callen who was at a frightened level that she had only seen him fake once before. She was internally freaked out since this was no act; G Callen was _literally_ afraid and on the edge of hyperventilating or bursting into tears, she didn't know which.

Hoping to get him to stop moving around on the bed, which was probably extremely painful, she placed her left hand on his upper chest.

"Hey… Hey…" She said soothingly. When G looked up at her, his eyes still full of fear and unshed tears, her heart felt as if it had been stabbed. She quickly knelt down beside his bed and placed her other hand on his neck, right beneath his ear, using her thumb to rub his chin, exactly how she had tried to comfort her lost fiancé in the past. "Shhh… It's okay… You're safe… You're okay."

She had expected Callen to pull away from her, but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't do anything but look back towards the door. She continued kneeling attentively by his side, rubbing his face gently, since he wasn't fighting her. She didn't know if her touch was calming to him or not until she felt his labored breathing slow beneath the hand she had on his chest.

Just then, Deeks and Sam quietly returned to the room.

Callen surprised them all by calling quietly to Deeks, "Danny?"

Marty traded glances with Sam and Kensi before moving to the side of the bed.

"Yeah, G? What's going on? How you feeling?"

Callen's eyes blinked back sudden tears. "I know I'm not supposed to… Tell…"

Deeks allowed his eyes to show Callen he was paying absolute attention. "Tell what, G?"

Kensi and Sam met eyes. They both had no idea what was going on. Sam furrowed his brow, looking back at Callen. Kensi stilled her hands on G's chest and neck, feeling his heartbeat pick up slightly.

Callen looked away, licking his lips quickly before mashing them together, seemingly torn by something he wanted to say but felt he couldn't.

Marty repeated himself quietly, seeming to know what was happening and wanting to be sure Callen felt safe, "Tell what, G? Are you worried about the Director?"

Still averting his gaze, Callen gave a small nod. "Ms. Brockman says we can't be babies… She'll punish me."

Kensi traded glances with Sam again, now even more confused.

Sympathy filled Marty's blue eyes. "It's okay, you can say anything here. Nobody's going to tell. We won't hurt you."

G looked back at Deeks and took a shaky breath. Kensi felt him tremble slightly beneath her hands. His eyes started filling with tears again. "Please don't tell Director, Danny…"

"I won't, G. I promise."

Callen finally said quietly, his voice becoming faint near the end, "I don't feel good."

Kensi was stunned. She saw that Sam was, also. Deeks reacted better than both of them and leaned over to put a hand on Callen's shoulder, compassion in his eyes. "I know, buddy." He said softly, reassuringly.

Callen lost a few tears and tried to bring up his left hand to wipe them away and became agitated when he couldn't, letting out a very small, un-Callen-like whimper, looking down at his bound left wrist.

Kensi understood what was frustrating Callen, herself hating tears. Removing her hand from his neck, she quickly wiped the offensive wetness away for him.

While she moved, Deeks spoke lowly, "Buddy, forget about the Director. You're allowed to say how you feel whenever, wherever. Okay? You're human. Like me." Deeks squeezed Callen's shoulder. "And, I promise, as soon as we can get some medicine for the pain, we will."

G nodded, still trying to get his tears under control, seeming to appreciate Kensi's soft hands wisping the ones that fell away.

Deeks knelt down so that he could look evenly at Callen. The bloodshot, ice blue eyes found Marty's. "While you wait, why don't you take a little nap? Uncle Danny'll stay right here."

Kensi saw a small hint of a smile flit past Callen's features. "You're not my uncle," G said weakly.

Deeks grinned gently. "You don't know that for sure."

Callen leaned back his head and looked more exhausted. He said quietly, "You're silly, Danny."

Deeks softened his smile. "And you're pretty incredible, G Callen."

His words got a soft smile from Callen, who was breathing easier now and seemed ready to fall asleep.

Marty put his hand on Callen's arm through the bars, avoiding the restraint. "Get some sleep, Buddy. I'll be right here."

Callen responded with a faint, weak nod. His eyes were closed in seconds, leaving a dumbfounded and impressed Kensi Blye and Sam Hanna staring at Deeks.

Kensi removed her hand from Callen's chest and came around to where Deeks was kneeling. "What just happened?" She asked, whispering.

Deeks rose to his feet and let out a small sigh. He turned and slowly stepped away from the bed. Taking a seat on the couch, Marty leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs, and his forehead in his palms, a posture that told his partner that he was troubled.

Kensi sat down next to her partner and placed a gentle hand on his knee. "Deeks, what's going on? Who's Danny?"

Sam took a seat in the chair next to Kensi. "Deeks?" He asked, his tone sounding more like a warning than an inquiry to Kensi.

Deeks raised his head to look at the two sets of brown eyes staring at him intently. Kensi watched as he pressed his lips together, seemingly attempting to gain his composure.

"Hetty says Danny's someone who watched after Callen at the first orphanage he was placed in," He explained softly. Gazing over at Callen, he continued, "I must remind him of the guy... Dr. Lee said we're supposed to try to keep Callen calm until this medicine wears off so I've just been playing along."

After a short pause, Sam shook his head in confusion. "He thinks he's a little kid?"

"Yeah. He's in the orphanage and they've tied him to the bed so he won't try to run away."

Kensi swallowed. This was a more precarious situation than she had originally thought. Marty was worried for good reason. The medication had their team leader thinking he was a child again.

Sam looked over to his partner with sadness in his eyes. "No wonder he's afraid of me."

Kensi saw the hurt beneath everything. Sam would take this harder than any of them, not hesitating to place the majority of the burden on himself. She reminded herself to mention this to Marty next time they were alone. They needed to be sure Sam wasn't too hard on himself. Sam turned his head back toward Deeks. "How long's he supposed to be like this?"

Marty looked saddened. "The doctor said the stuff should be out of his system in twenty-four hours. Callen can't have anything to sedate him or anything for pain until in the morning."

Sam huffed. "Then how are we supposed to keep him calm?"

"Good question."

Kensi looked over at Callen. Not just a precarious situation. A _tricky_ precarious situation.

Sam stood and slowly walked to the side of the bed. He reached down and touched Callen's right wrist, then moved down to the foot of the bed. He lifted up the edge of the covers, taking a quick peak at the restraint around Callen's ankle. Replacing the blanket he asked softly, "Can't we at least take these off him while he's asleep?"

Kensi understood Sam's concern over seeing Callen bound to the bed, wondering the same thing.

Deeks shook his head negatively. "We have to leave them on, for now. The doc will be back in a little while and decide if it's okay to take them off. Callen may seem dossal now, but, just a little while ago, he woke up kicking and fighting us. He was trying to pull the IV out; thought he was being poisoned. Took three of us to hold him down until they could get the restraints on him."

Still looking down at his partner, Sam narrowed his eyes. "So they think there's a chance of it happening again?"

"Maybe. The doctor just doesn't want him to hurt himself again."

Sam walked around to the opposite side of the bed. With a determined look on his face that looked more like his normal self, he pulled back the edge of the covers, exposing Callen's entire left arm.

"What are you doing, Sam?" Kensi questioned.

"Need to be able to see his good arm. I've seen 'Houdini' here work his way out of these things."

Deeks exchanged a smile with Kensi, his eyes showing his partner that he thought the "old folks" all read from the same handbook. "That's what Hetty said before she left… Only without the 'Houdini' reference."

Their smiles vanished when Callen moaned.

Kensi stayed seated and watched as Callen grimaced and his eyes blinked open. He pulled against the restraints, looked up at Sam with an exhausted expression that pleaded for help, and whispered a short phrase in Russian.

Sam's brow tensed. He studied G intently for a few moments, letting out the breath he was holding when his partner stilled and closed his eyes. Sam slowly made his way around to Kensi and Deeks, and took a seat in the chair next to them. He closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and lowered his head.

Kensi, reading Sam's body language, looked at him with concern. She placed her hand on his forearm. "Sam?"

Looking down at his shoes, Sam shook his head slowly. "What did I do?"

Kensi leaned toward the ex-SEAL. "Sam, it's not your fault."

Marty looked taken aback by the remorse in Sam's voice. "Dude. You saved Callen's life. He would have taken a bullet right through the heart if you hadn't tackled…" Deeks grunted when Kensi roughly elbowed him in the ribs. "Hadn't _pushed_ him out of the way."

Sam raised his gaze to his injured friend. "I just wish it could have been the other way around."

"Well, for starters," Deeks teased softly with a smirk, "I don't think someone Callen's size could have even moved you, much less shoved you out of the way." Deeks received another jab from Kensi, and this time, she gave him a hearty glare. "And besides, he's lucky to have a partner who always has his back."

"Yeah, Sam," Kensi agreed finally, removing her hand from his muscular arm. "Who always runs in and saves his butt when he goes off, trying to save the world by himself?"

Finding just a bit of consolation in the words of the younger team members, Sam gave a quick, one-sided smile.

Kensi smiled ruefully in return. Now, if they could just keep Sam positive and get Callen over these reactions… She hoped that things would finally calm down.


	15. Only Babies Cry

Chapter 15: Only Babies Cry

Sam sat in the vinyl chair close to the entrance of the hospital room, glancing up every few seconds at the hospital bed where his restrained partner was now sleeping.

Kensi was just to Sam's left, seated next Marty on the small couch. The three continued to converse softly, recalling times Callen had gotten himself into complicated fixes (some of which were of his own doing), requiring Sam to execute an impromptu rescue mission.

At first, Sam's smiles were forced. Too worried, and frankly too exhausted to weed out his irrational thoughts, Sam still felt responsible for his friend's current physical, and emotional state. Strangely, however, these accounts of G facing danger, and even suffering serious injuries in the past, gradually brought a small measure of comfort to the big guy – reminding him: _G Callen is a survivor._

The muscles in the back of the ex-SEAL's neck had just begun to relax when Callen's body suddenly jerked. Sam sprung from his chair and was at his partner's side in a split second.

Callen jerked again. This time, a faint, raspy moan followed.

Sam froze in place for a minute, staring down at G, his brow tense from worry, only returning to his chair when he was confident Callen was resting.

Over the next hour, Callen roused several times, sometimes opening his eyes and looking around with dazed eyes, and several times raising his head from the pillow and squeezing his eyes shut tight from apparent pain.

Landon had come by once to monitor vital signs, and had now returned to check the restraints. He walked around to the other side of the bed and checked his patient's left wrist and ankle. Fortunately, Callen was sleeping fairly soundly and did not protest the intrusion. After coming around and examining the right ankle, the male nurse moved the blanket off of Callen's right arm. He shook his head, replaced the covers, and turned and faced the three who were sitting along the wall. "I can't get a good look at the right wrist without removing the restraint and the splint. I'm going to give Dr. Lee a call and see if we can start releasing one restraint at a time."

Sam shared the nurse's concern; G had been restrained for far too long. He knew how restraints worked on a person's body. All SEALs did. Time and restraints usually joined forces to work against the prisoner's circulation and ability to fight back. A body that wasn't able to move around became less and less of a threat simply because bodies were meant to move. Ceasing that movement was a cruel way to subdue an enemy, and they were doing this to G. He didn't like it, at all. "Can't we just take them off? He's been calm for a while."

Landon shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. The Theradin is time-released and there's a chance he'll start fighting us again. Dr. Lee just doesn't want to risk another fall; especially in light of the fact we don't know yet what's going on with him neurologically."

The large agent crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back in his chair, and let out a very frustrated breath. Although he gave a quick nod of understanding, Sam was not at all happy with leaving his partner tied to the bed.

After the nurse had left the room, Kensi stood and stretched her slender arms high above her head. "I need to take a break. You two want something from the vending machines while I'm down there?"

"I'm good," Sam answered, his voice tone a little more grumpy than he intended.

Marty raised his eyebrows at his partner. "Why don't I come with you?"

"Deeks. I don't need you to hold my hand while I go to the restroom."

"Oh… Well, in that case, I could use a soda… And maybe crackers, and some cookies… And chips?" He trailed off.

Kensi smiled at her partner, knowing he was a bit nervous about being left alone in the room with a worried, grumpy Sam. "I got it," She said when Marty reached for his wallet.

"What?" Deeks' eyes grew wide. "Where can money even fit in those jeans?" His wisecrack about his partner's skin-tight jeans earned him a prompt kick to the shin. "Ow! What was that for?!"

All eyes went to the bed when Callen stirred and groaned.

"I swear," Sam warned, "If you two wake him up, I'm gonna toss Deeks out that window."

"Me?" Deeks squeaked defensively, voice in a self-protective whisper. "Why am I the one that's gonna be thrown from the fourth floor? She started it."

Kensi pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. She turned to Sam, who was also now trying hard to fight back a smile. "Sam. You sure you don't want anything?"

"Maybe just a water."

Kensi had been gone for a few minutes when Callen moaned loudly, his body simultaneously tensing beneath the sheets. He took in a quick breath and held it.

Sam and Marty scrambled to the bedside. Callen was obviously in pain.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

_Something was wrong. _

_G tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were too heavy. He needed to focus. He could hardly breathe; there was so much pain! _

_He tried to move and quickly realized something, or someone was holding his arms and legs down. Everything on his right side hurt. But his right arm… No, right hand and wrist, hurt really bad! He needed to catch his breath and figure out where he was and what was going on._

_G stilled for a few seconds, trying to breathe through the pain. _

_Then it dawned on him – It must be the Wallace brothers, again! They had picked on him ever since he came to live in their house a few days ago. It started off, the very first day, with Ronnie and Donnie, playing keep-away with his stuffed rabbit. The twins were ten years old, only two years older than he was, but they were big for their age, and very strong... _

_Their twelve-year-old brother, Carson, had joined in on the tormenting by day two. G suddenly felt himself shudder, remembering how Donnie and Carson had held him down on the floor, flat on his back, while Ronnie stood above him and slowly poured a huge pitcher of ice water onto his face. G thought he was going to drown before the pitcher finally ran empty. The older brother had threatened to break his arms if he told their parents. _

_That's it! Carson must have broken his arm… That's why it hurt so bad. _

_But why had Carson hurt his arm? He certainly hadn't told his foster parents what the boys had done. _

_He would __never__ tell. _

_He had learned his lesson well in the last orphanage. _

_Director Brockman always said, 'You never tattle, you never complain, and you never, ever cry. Only babies cry.' _

_The Director had caught him, a couple of times, crying in his bed when he felt lonely. His punishment was so humiliating that a beating would have actually been preferred. _

_The memories of that terrible place caused G to shudder again. _

_The Social Worker lady had told him he would have to go back to the orphanage if he gave Mr. and Mrs. Wallace any trouble. So he needed to get control. _

_He must stay still and quiet, and just take whatever the boys dished out._

_G tried to imagine he was somewhere else; a place where he was safe. It was working. He felt some of the tension leave his body and he relaxed his head back. The surface underneath his head was soft. The boys were not holding him down on the floor this time; they had him on a bed._

_Suddenly, there was another surge of pain. It felt like his hand was being crushed in a vice. He wanted to cry out. _

_It hurt so bad! _

_He didn't want to have to go back to that orphanage, but he just couldn't be still any longer. It hurt too much! He needed get away from the boys before they broke his other arm… Or something worse._

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

Kensi entered the room to find Deeks and Sam standing at Callen's side. Even with their backs to her, she sensed their concern; something had happened in that short time she was gone. She absentmindedly deposited the snacks on the portable table and hurried around to the other side of the bed.

By now, Callen had begun trying to squirm out of the restraints. He groaned loudly, a pained expression on his face. His eyes suddenly opened. "Get off me!" He grunted out. "Let me go!"

Kensi was the first to respond. She raised her hand and slowly stroked the side of Callen's face. "Shh, shh, shh. It's okay."

Seemingly soothed by Kensi's voice and gentle touch, Callen stopped pulling on the restraints. His chest still heaving, he became still and looked up. His moist, blue eyes met those of the woman standing to his left.

Kensi's eyes were met by glassy blue ones. She continued running her fingers along the side of Callen's face, and reassuring him softly, "No one's trying to hurt you. You're safe."

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

_Breaking eye-contact with the nice lady who was touching his face, G looked around the room. _

_He was __not__ at the Wallace's house; he was in a hospital room. _

_Ooohhh! There was that pain in his hand, again – only worse! _

_He tried hard not to cry out, but couldn't help it. A small sound of distress escaped him. _

_He closed his eyes tight and took in short breaths, trying to get control. He was acting like a sissy in front of the pretty lady. _

_Finally, the agony eased enough for him to squint his eyes open again. The lady was still there. But she wasn't scolding him, or making fun of him. She was just looking down at him with kind, brown eyes. _

_Where did she come from and why was she being so nice to him? Maybe she was a new Social… Owch! _

_Another sudden pain in his hand caused him to suck in a quick breath of air. Immediately, he realized that was a mistake… taking in such a deep breath made it feel like someone had just stuck a hot knife into his side! _

_Why did he hurt so bad? What had the Wallace boys done to him? He clinched his teeth together, riding out another wave of pain._

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

Callen held his jaw tight for thirty seconds or so, before his features relaxed. He opened his eyes and slowly turned his head toward his right shoulder, as if just realizing someone was standing on that side of the bed. He gazed up at Marty in puzzlement. "Danny?"

"I'm here, G." Deeks took one side-step to his right so that Callen wouldn't have to strain his neck to see him.

"Danny. Why are you here?" His voice was soft and unsure.

"I came to see you, buddy."

"But how did you know?"

"Uncle Danny knows everything," Deeks said with a wink.

A small smile began to appear on Callen's face, but quickly disappeared when his eyes closed tight and he inhaled a tiny, pain-filled breath of air.

The three that surrounded the bed, spontaneously moved in closer, each on edge.

Marty placed his palm on Callen's shoulder. "G, what's wrong? What hurts?"

With his eyes still squeezed shut, Callen shook his head negatively.

Except for his quick, labored breathing, Callen finally relaxed. He opened his eyes, his gaze moving down past Deeks, to where Sam standing. Studying Sam's face for a moment, Callen's brow began to furrow in confusion.

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

_G watched the tall, muscular man who was standing near the foot of his bed next to Danny. He didn't remember ever seeing this man, but there was something about his eyes – something familiar... _

_Ow! His hand was throbbing again, and now felt like it had been set on fire! _

_Remembering how bad it had hurt his ribs the last time he took too much air, he leveled his gaze and held his breath. _

_He could feel the tears building up in his eyes and fought to hold them back. He couldn't let himself cry in front of the man with huge muscles._

^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^v^^^V^^^V^^^V^^^

Now staring up at Sam, G grunted softly, his eyes beginning to water. Never breaking eye contact, Callen bit his bottom lip to hold back a grimace. But he was not able to hide the flash of pain in his eyes.

Sam suddenly felt sick to his stomach. On top of being in so much pain, his partner was confused, scared, and didn't trust him.

Callen broke eye contact when he couldn't suppress the next surge of fiery-hot pain. He clenched his teeth, holding his breath for several seconds, and then let out a breath through pursed lips.

"Come on, G," Sam pleaded, careful to keep his tone low and soft. "We can't help you unless you let us know what's going on."

Still breathing hard, Callen looked nervously down at the bed sheets and shook his head.

Marty got down on one knee so that he was just below Callen's eye level. "G, we've talked about this. Nothing's going to happen to you. You can tell me anything."

Callen looked up at Kensi, and then gave Sam a quick, timid glance.

Deeks reached through the rail and touched Callen's shoulder. "They're good guys. They're my friends… G, we need to know what's hurting you."

Callen let his eyes fall shut and turned his head back to midline. Forcing back the sudden need to sob, Callen said softly, "My hand." He turned and looked into Deeks eyes, unable to stop a single tear that rolled down his cheek. "Danny," He said before a faint whimper escaped, "It hurts so bad."

Before Deeks could respond, Sam had bolted from the room. Marty removed his hand from Callen's shoulder and rose to his feet. "We're going to get you some help," He assured him.

Just then, the door swung open. Sam rushed in, with Landon right behind him.

The sudden commotion in the room caused Callen to startle. His wide, fearful eyes met those of the nurse who was coming toward him.

Seeing his friend's reaction, Sam suddenly stopped in his tracks, threw a straight arm out in front of Landon's chest, halting his forward movement, as well. The ex-SEAL responded to the nurse's questioning look with a quick tilt of his head toward the bed.

Landon studied the patient for several seconds before turning back to Sam, asking softly, "Still scared?"

Sam nodded, giving a quiet, one-word explanation. "Kid."

Landon let out a breath. "I see."

Marty leaned in closer to Callen. "This is Landon. He's a nurse. You can trust him."

Deeks stepped back from the bed, and Landon moved slowly into his place. "Your friends tell me your hand is hurting really bad. This one?" Landon asked, gently touching the patient's right forearm.

Callen closed his eyes tight and began to breathe more quickly.

Deeks scrubbed his chin with his palm. "G. I need you to answer the nurse."

With his eyes still closed, Callen nodded once.

Landon moved the blanket and sheet down to Callen's waist. "Let's see if we can figure out what's making your hand hurt." The nurse reached underneath the mattress and untied the restraint, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the patient had opened his eyes and was now watching his every move. With slow and careful movements, Landon removed the restraint and then pulled apart the Velcro straps that were securing the IV splint to Callen's hand.

Even this slight change in position caused Callen to hiss.

Kensi bit her lower lip. Seeing Callen in so much pain, and tied helplessly to the bed, made her stomach twist into knots. Saddened by the vulnerable, abandoned little boy before her, she reached down and took his left hand in hers.

Landon paused to give the patient a moment to catch his breath, and was surprised to see that Callen's eyes were still open wide, trained on the hand in question. "You're doing good," The nurse encouraged. "I just need to take this splint off so I can take a look."

The process of removing the splint caused Callen even more pain. He grimaced and held his breath, his left hand inadvertently squeezing the soft, slender fingers that were holding onto his.

Kensi instinctively ran her thumb back-and-forth over the top of Callen's hand. "Shhh. It's alright…" She soothed.

Callen closed his eyes. His breathing began to slow and his hand relaxed in Kensi's.

Landon frowned down at Callen's swollen right hand. Noting the reddish-purple discoloration, he shook his head. "This isn't good," He said softly, as if talking to himself. He continued a bit more loudly, urgency rising in his voice, "This is way too much swelling. This IV has to come out… Now."

Callen, apparently picking up on the nurse's sudden concern, opened his eyes and stared apprehensively at his hand.

Landon quickly closed the valve in the IV tube, shut off the pump, and pulled a pair of gloves from a box mounted to the wall. He was hurriedly donning his gloves when he realized Callen was, once again, watching his movements with child-like fear in his eyes. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, the nurse knew he needed to slow down – he was causing his patient more distress.

Landon stopped long enough to force a smile. "I'm going to need to take the…" Recalling the patient's aversion to needles, Landon quickly changed his wording in mid-sentence. "…tape off your hand. We'll get you fixed up so you feel better soon. Okay?"

Just seeing the nurse reach for his hand caused Callen to flinch, roughly jerking against the restraints. He squeezed Kensi's fingers, his apprehensive gaze never leaving his throbbing hand.

Landon stopped and looked across to Kensi's pleading eyes. The nurse let out a breath, looked down at the restraint around Callen's left wrist, and gave a single nod of approval. "Just don't take it off his wrist."

Kensi sat down on her heels, wasting no time undoing the knot beneath the mattress. With the long web ties now hanging loosely from the soft wrist band, Kensi wrapped both her hands around the hand she had just released. She raised Callen's hand so that his elbow was bent at a ninety degree angle.

To everyone's surprise, Callen's attention was drawn from the hand that was hurting, to the one that had just been freed. His lips parted slightly. Then he looked up at Kensi with wide, grateful eyes, like she had just rescued him.

Suddenly overcome by the flash of innocence in his partner's eyes, Sam was forced to look away for a moment. _Why hadn't someone come for G when he was a boy? _

The mood quickly changed when Callen flinched, turning his attention back to his right, scowling down at the tape that was being carefully removed from his swollen, tender hand. G pressed his lips together and raised his indignant glare up to the nurse who was responsible for the new stinging sensation on the back of his hand.

Landon looked down at the patient and shrugged, apologetically. "Sorry. I think our friend, Anna, wanted to make sure this _never_ came off; I'm beginning to think she used the entire role of tape."

When the fourth strip of tape was removed, Callen hissed and pulled his hand away, resulting in another apology from the nurse.

Callen responded by looking down at the sheets, a stubborn frown on his face. He pulled his throbbing hand to his chest.

Kensi was caught off guard when she looked up to find Sam, Deeks, and the nurse all gazing at her expectantly. Their signal soon became clear to her: she was the one Callen seemed to trust, at the moment.

Kensi let out a breath and looked across at her partner with a 'here I go' expression. With Callen's left hand still secured in hers, she slowly moved her left hand to the side of his face. Gently turning his face toward hers, she leaned in closer. "Callen," She began softly. When his eyes met hers, she told him, "I know it hurts, but you've got to let the nurse do his job... I need you to be brave."

Marty's mouth gaped a little. He could hardly believe the words coming out of his partner's mouth, or the tone in which she had spoken them. Any other time, he might have teased her about going all 'maternal' on him, or warned her about coming across as condescending to their Senior Agent. But at the moment, it seemed to be just what Callen needed to hear.

G cut his eyes up to the nurse who was patiently waiting at his side. Callen lowered his head, a light blush appearing on his pale cheeks. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly straightened his right arm, returning his hand to his side.

Kensi kept her hand on Callen's face, gently guiding his face toward hers, reminding him to look at her, each time he tried to see what the nurse was doing to his hand. She could see the flicker of pain in his eyes each time a piece of tape was removed. When he suddenly gasped from abrupt hurt, his wide, bloodshot blue eyes staring up at her, she knew the IV catheter had been removed from his hand. Kensi moved her hand from his face and released the hand she had been holding.

Callen drew both hands up toward his neck, protectively holding his right hand against his chest.

Landon paused a moment before speaking. "I need to make a call to the doctor." After disposing of the IV needle and his gloves, he hurried from the room.

Still cradling his arm, Callen began to stare vacantly toward the wall in front of him, and the tension seemed to drain from his body.

Sam, Marty, and Kensi stood wordlessly. Though they knew it was temporary, no one seemed to want to disturb Callen's peaceful trance. Attempting to get a read on his awareness level, Kensi moved from his side, down to the foot of the bed. Callen never blinked; in fact, he appeared to be looking right through her.

The nurse returned a short time later, carrying a small, white pouch of ice. He stopped and made brief eye contact with each of the patient's concerned visitors, before passing on the doctor's instructions. "Dr. Lee wants to get another X-ray of this hand this afternoon, just to make sure the swelling is from the IV infiltrating, and not from a displaced fracture. And in light of all that's going on, he gave the okay to wait until later today to restart the IV… Miss Lange asked that we keep her updated on how he's doing. I'll give her a call as soon as I finish up in here. Keep her in the loop."

Landon placed the pouch on the portable table, beside the forgotten snacks Kensi had bought earlier, and pulled two pillows from the closet. "The doctor wants this hand elevated, with intermittent cold compresses, until the swelling is resolved." Landon stacked the pillows on the bed, just to the patient's right side.

Callen's peaceful trance was broken when Landon reached for his arm. G stubbornly pulled his arm in even tighter, scowling up at the nurse.

Deeks, hoping his "Uncle Danny" character had not lost its magic, stepped up to the bedside, next to Landon. "Look, G. You're going to have to cooperate with the nurse if you want to get better. He's following the doctor's orders. He's trying to help you."

They all watched as Callen's agitated stare dissolved into a submissive frown; Marty's intervention seemed to be working. G looked down at his chest, and then slowly straightened out his right elbow, hesitantly presenting his arm to the nurse.

Landon carefully placed the injured arm on the pillows, making adjustments so that it was secure. He turned and retrieved the pouch of ice from the table. "Agent Callen, this is going to get very uncomfortable, but this icepack must stay on your hand for twenty minutes. Okay?"

Either not fully understanding what was going on, or simply choosing to ignore the nurse's instructions, Callen never acknowledged he had been spoken to. The alarmed look on his face, when the icepack was placed on his hand, indicated that he was probably not adequately processing what was being said. Before anyone realized what was happening, Callen reached across with his left hand and dragged the offensive cold packet off his hand.

After exchanging concerned looks with Marty, Landon turned to Sam. The Ex-SEAL looked up at the ceiling, pressed his lips together, and let a breath out through his nose. Landon could see the disappointment, maybe even a hint of dread, in the big agent's eyes.

The nurse huffed out a breath and shook his head. "This isn't going to work." He walked around the foot of the bed, slipping through the space between Kensi and the wall, and made his way to the other side. He grasped the patient's left hand and placed it at the edge of the mattress.

Callen watched in distress as the nurse straightened out both ties leading to the restraint band around his wrist, and then threaded them under the side rail.

When Landon stood up from securing the ties to the bedframe, he could not help but feel saddened by the watery, blue eyes looking up at him. This man was in pain, confused, and afraid.

Landon returned to the patient's right side and reapplied the cold compress, only to have Callen wince, and pull his hand from beneath it. The nurse stepped back from the bed, and waved for the detective to come closer.

Deeks positioned himself next to Callen, and looked down at him with compassionate eyes. "Look, G. If you don't hold still, they'll have to tie this hand down, too. The icepack has to stay on there; it's not an option."

Callen licked his lips, and nervously cut his eyes to the left.

Fingering his cell phone from his jeans' pocket, Sam quickly moved around to Callen's left side. He punched several entries into his phone, and then held it up in front of his partner's face. "I set the timer. Just twenty minutes, G. Then we can take it off. You're tough. You can do this. Twenty minutes."

Callen's gaze slowly went up to the big man standing beside him. He finally responded with a small nod.

"Then let's do this." Sam started the timer and laid the phone on Callen's stomach so that he could watch the countdown.

Marty gently placed the packet of ice back on Callen's hand, and was relieved when G did not pull away, this time.

The nurse nodded at the detective, before exiting the room, leaving the ice therapy in the hands of the one who seemed best able to get through to his confused and anxious patient.

Within minutes, however, a frown creased Callen's forehead, and he began to breathe more quickly.

Realizing Callen was quickly approaching a state of panic, Marty leaned over the bedrail to offer encouragement. "G, you're doing good. Just hang in there."

Obviously, expending everything he had to get control, Callen closed his eyes and began taking in small puffs of air.

"That's it, G." Marty said lowly, unable to hide the concern from his voice or his eyes.

Callen finally let out a long, calming breath. When his eyes opened, he looked up at Marty with a curious squint. "Danny… How did you find me?" He asked softly.

"I told you, I just know things."

Callen suddenly hissed and pulled his hand from the ice, again.

"Uh-uh." Deeks gently reprimanded, reaching out, taking Callen's arm, and placing the injured hand back on the pillow. "You have to hold still, or they'll tie this arm down, remember?"

G swallowed and gave a half-nod, showing that he understood what that meant.

Deeks carefully repositioned the icepack. He knew he was stepping off into unchartered waters, but he hoped engaging Callen in conversation would distract him while he continued the ice treatment. "G, do you know where you are?"

"Hospital." Callen replied through gritted teeth.

"Do you remember why you're here?"

Callen looked down at his chest, and his clenched jaw was replaced with a frown. The look in his eyes was dark and haunted, and Deeks recognized it immediately.

"Did someone hurt you?"

Callen turned his head away. The classic move of a foster kid who didn't want to talk.

Marty paused a moment and closed his eyes, pushing down his own memories of abuse. This could blow up in his face if he kept going forward, but something deep inside his heart urged him to ask. Maybe just to air whatever this child-Callen needed someone to hear. Maybe so he could just have a moment of someone having his back. "Did a grown-up hurt you?" He finally asked.

Callen shook his head, negatively. "The boys." He said, tone barely more than a whisper.

"Boys at school?" Deeks asked back, becoming more leery of what was on the other side of Callen's emotional wall. This was partially bringing back parts of his own past that he kept hidden away. He knew what being bullied was like...

With his gaze still averted, G mumbled, "Foster brothers."

Deeks leaned in closer, fighting back his anger at the past. "You're okay now. We won't let them hurt you anymore."

Callen began taking in quick, shallow breaths. He turned and looked up at Marty with panic in his eyes. "Danny—" He panted. "You can't tell— They'll make me go back."

"Don't worry, G. Nobody's going to make you go back to that house."

Rather than being calmed, Callen's anxiety intensified. "No! To the orphanage— The Social Worker lady said— they'll send me back there— if I give foster parents trouble."

Heart pounding, Marty was having difficulty understanding a place so bad that abuse from foster brothers would be preferable. "G, just let me take care of it."

Callen's panic only escalated. "No, Danny! Last time you did— The Director… You can't…"

Deeks' eyes narrowed, his stomach tightening. He didn't have to be a detective to get what was going on here. A quick glance up at Sam's upset face showed that he was following just as well. "The Director punished you the last time I told what someone did to you?"

Callen paused, slowing his breathing enough to speak. "You remember. She thought I told you… She said I broke one of her rules."

The sudden urge to go back to Callen's past and punch someone in the face was shared throughout the room in an instant. Sam and Kensi shared a look that expressed their rage.

Both forcing down his anger and trying to think clearly, Marty asked, "What are her rules, G?"

Callen blinked up at Deeks in confusion. "You know."

"Yeah. But tell me again."

G's gaze drifted off to the left. He swallowed hard, and then quietly recited the rules. "'You never tattle, you never complain, and you never, ever cry. Only babies cry.'"

The room fell silent while Deeks looked up to exchange angry glances with Sam, and then Kensi.

Inhaling, Deeks calmed himself. Then he mirrored what Kensi had done earlier, placing his fingers on Callen's jaw, and gently guided his face toward him until he achieved eye contact. "G, listen to me. You don't ever have to go back to that place. I'll make sure you never have to see that Director person again." Marty gripped Callen's face just a little tighter. "I promise."

When his jaw had been released, G's eyes filled with tears. He looked down in defeat, and slowly shook his head. "You can't keep that promise," He said softly. "Nobody can."

Deeks was still searching his thoughts for an adequate response when Callen's body suddenly tensed. G raised he head up off the pillow and looked intently at his right hand. "Too cold!"

"I know," Deeks sympathized. "But you have to be still."

The rational side of Kensi knew this cold treatment was necessary. But her heart kept telling her to walk around to where her partner was standing and just take the icepack off Callen's arm, already. So she did the only thing she could from her position – she rested her hand on top of the covers, just over Callen's left foot.

With his eyes still locked on his hand, Callen's breath hitched. "Please. Make it stop," He whimpered.

Sam picked up his phone that had been resting on Callen's stomach. He held it up in front of his partner's face. "Ten minutes, G. You're halfway there. Stay with me, buddy."

Callen looked at the timer with unfocused eyes while simultaneously suppressing a strong grimace. After a few more struggling breaths, he closed his eyes, let his head fall back to the pillow, and nodded.

Now that Callen seemed to have gained back a bit of control, Deeks continued with his attempt to divert his attention by getting him to talk. "G… The places you've stayed… Have any of them been good?"

Callen gazed off to the left. The right corner of his mouth began to turn up slightly. "The Parkers," He said softly. "Got to be there almost a month." Callen cringed suddenly, and looked down at his hand. "It's too cold… Take it off… please," He pleaded between quick breaths.

"Just seven more minutes," Sam announced. "Hang in there, G."

Apparently concentrating on schooling his emotions, Callen closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip. When his breathing had slowed, he swiped his bloody lips with his tongue.

"Good, G," Marty encouraged. "Take deep breaths. That's it."

But almost immediately, Callen's brow tensed from oncoming, intense pain.

Deeks placed his hand on Callen's upper arm. "G. Tell me about the Parkers."

Callen finally relaxed, and a hint of a smile reappeared on his face. His eyes, once again, cut back to the left, as if visualizing something. "They were nice… Mrs. Parker took me to the store. She let me pick out my own cereal."

"You liked 'em, huh?"

Callen nodded. His smile broadened a little. "They never sent me to bed without supper." The smile suddenly vanished and Callen's eyes pooled with unshed tears. "I was hoping they would let me stay with them," He continued, even more softly. "Maybe if I got to eat more, I would grow bigger… and people would stop…" His voice faded.

Deeks cleared his throat, looking down, now sure that the unchartered waters might be too dangerous.

Seeing another glimpse of what his partner had experienced as a child, Sam felt both sad and angry. He rubbed his throat, attempting to dissolve the knot that had formed.

Thirty seconds later, Callen grimaced and cried out more loudly, "Please… Too cold… Can't…"

"Yes, you can," Sam said firmly. "Almost done, G."

Seeing that Callen was close to losing control, Deeks held his arm in place, ensuring the icepack stayed on for the designated amount of time.

Callen squirmed and grunted until the timer on Sam's phone beeped, and the freezing cold pack was removed from his hand. After several more quick breaths, his body relaxed. With exhaustion in his eyes, he looked at Marty, and a small smile formed. "Danny," He said faintly, blinking more slowly now.

Deeks leaned in closer so that he could hear. "Yeah, Buddy?"

"Tell Director…" Callen's eyes drooped closed for a couple of seconds before reopening.

"Tell Director what, G?"

A small, crooked smile appeared on Callen's face. "Tell her… I didn't cry." Callen's smile faded and his eyes slid shut.


	16. Spaced Out

Chapter 16: Spaced Out

Callen had just closed his eyes, utterly exhausted after enduring the painful, twenty minute ice treatment to his broken wrist.

Sam, Kensi, and Deeks stood silently next to the bed. The three exchanged understanding looks and at that moment, the unspoken pact was made: _Callen was to never know that they had met the vulnerable, frightened little boy._

Kensi's cheeks blushed slightly when she looked down and realized she was still holding on to Callen's foot through the covers. She removed her hand and made her way to the couch.

Marty felt mentally and physically drained. Having to assist in restraining his Team Leader earlier that morning, and then trying to console Callen by stepping into a role of an adult from his past – the day was only half over and already had been another emotional roller-coaster. Deeks let out a long breath and sat down beside his partner.

Sam tucked his phone back into the pocket of his jeans and then stood at Callen's side for a few more minutes. He had seen another glimpse as to why his partner was esteemed by other agents as one of the best in his field. Growing up, G's world was ever changing; He was placed in unfamiliar settings, encountered new people, and was faced with overwhelming challenges, virtually every day of his young life. The ability to quickly adapt and improvise were skills essential for his survival.

Sam had just taken a seat in the chair beside Kensi when Nurse Landon entered the room. After placing a lunch tray on the portable table, he paused for a few seconds to study his patient. "Is he asleep?"

"I think so," Sam responded.

"I know that was a rough twenty minutes." Landon approached the bedside and visually scanned Callen's injured arm. "But the upside is, it helped a little," He reported softly. "There's still quite a bit of edema, but nothing like before… We'll need to ice it again in about forty minutes."

The nurse did not see the frown, rolling of eyes, and the cringing face behind his back. But he suspected the three visitors were not happy at all with the prescribed remedy.

After checking the restraints on G's ankles and left wrist, Landon came back around to where Sam was seated. "Just keep an eye on him and make sure he keeps that arm elevated... And if he wakes up before I come back, please see if you can get him to eat something… or at least drink a little. He doesn't have the benefit of the IV right now."

"Will do," Sam stated firmly, accepting the mission.

When the nurse had left the room, Kensi handed Sam his bottle of water and Deeks a soft drink. Wordlessly, the three began to consume their snacks and drinks.

By the time Kensi had eaten her Cheetos, her partner had finished off a bag of chips, and a package of crackers. When Marty reached for the only remaining snack, a small bag of cookies, Kensi swatted his hand. "Keep your hands off."

"Oww! What was that for?"

"You've already had chips and crackers."

"But I'm hungry."

"Those aren't for you. I'm saving those for later," She taunted, removing the cookies from the table and tucking them in the cushion beside her for safe keeping.

"But they're mini, double chocolate chip," He whined, reaching again for the cookies.

"Deeks." Sam warned. "I'd listen to your partner, if I were you. You know how she gets when you try to get between her and her chocolate."

Kensi gave a victorious smile when Marty stopped, pulled his hand back, and pouted.

Twenty minutes later, Callen opened his eyes and looked groggily around the room. Turning his head to the right, he made brief eye contact with Deeks, and then Kensi.

Kensi stood and slowly approached the bedside. "Callen, how do you feel?"

He squinted up at her, not seeming to be in any distress or pain at the moment, but clearly not knowing what was going on.

Kensi stepped aside when she heard the portable table being rolled toward the bed. She smiled as she returned to her place on the couch, not at all surprised that Sam was wasting no time in carrying out the nurse's instructions to hydrate Callen.

Sam peeled the paper off of a straw and placed it in a glass of ice water that had come on the lunch tray.

G peered cautiously up at Sam then frowned down at the glass that was being held up close to his mouth.

Deeks popped up from the couch and went to the bedside. "Come on, G. You need to drink something," He persuaded gently.

Callen squinted up at the blonde with the same confused look he had given Kensi and Sam.

Marty shook his head, turned, and slowly returned to the couch. "Uncle Danny has apparently left the building."

Kensi commended her partner's efforts with a pat to his knee.

When Callen, again, refused to take a drink, Sam sat the glass on the tray, paused for a moment, then suddenly turned on his heel and exited the room.

Kensi and Deeks just looked at one other and shrugged.

Within minutes, Sam returned with a container of apple juice. He opened the top, emptied the contents into a small Styrofoam cup, and transferred the straw from the glass of water to the cup of juice.

This time, when the straw was held close to Callen's lips, he stretched his neck a little, looking down curiously at the juice. After a small test sip, he began slowly moving his shaky right hand toward the cup.

"Let me hold it," Sam instructed softly.

G carefully returned his hand to the pillow it had been resting on, and began drinking through the straw. When the cup was empty, he let out a breath, rested his head back down to the pillow, and gave Sam an appreciative glace.

Sam put down the empty cup and, without a word, hurried from the room like a man (SEAL) on a mission.

Deeks and Kensi didn't even try to minimize their smiles when Sam returned with three containers of apple juice.

Callen finished off the second container, and half of the next, before relaxing his head back and closing his eyes.

Sam raised the head of the bed a little higher, and tried, unsuccessfully, to get his partner to take a spoonful of soup. When G also refused the orange Jell-O, the big SEAL cocked his head to the side, pressed his lips together in disappointment, and let out a breath through his nose.

Without warning, Deeks reached across Kensi and snatched the package of cookies. "Here, Sam. Try these," He called out, tossing the coveted snack to Sam.

Kensi's mouth flew open in silent protest, but she really hoped the cookies would draw his interest; after all, her Senior Agent shared her love for junk food.

Sam opened the package, removed one of the small cookies, and broke it in two.

When the cookie piece was slid into Callen's mouth, he looked up at Sam in surprise, but then slowly chewed and swallowed it.

G took another sip of apple juice, but stubbornly pressed his lips together, refusing the other portion of the cookie.

Sam had just returned the package of cookies to Kensi when Deeks pulled out his phone. "Text from Hetty." He announced. "Says she about to finish up at FBI headquarters… Said the nurse called her a little while ago about a problem with Mr. Callen's arm… Wants to know if Sam has made it from the airport, and… Oh, this is a surprise." He stated flatly. "She wants another report on Callen." Deeks sat silently for a minute, keying in his "report," pressing send, and then waiting for a reply. "She says there's been a development in an old case… She'll fill us in when she gets here." Marty returned his phone to his pocket and noticed Callen was looking at him.

G lifted his head off the pillow and furrowed his brow before shifting his gaze to Kensi. He stared at her for a moment, the same way he had looked at Deeks, clearly no recognition in his eyes.

Sam folded his arms across his chest and smiled down at his partner. "Still trying to figure out who everyone is, aren't you?"

Callen briefly looked up at Sam before turning his head slowly back to midline. Staring vacantly straight ahead, he mumbled something too softly to distinguish the words.

"Was that even English?" Deeks asked.

"I don't think so." Kensi responded, quickly pulling out her phone and activating the video recorder.

Sam leaned just a little closer to Callen. "What was that, G?"

With that same distant look in his eyes, Callen turned his head and stared up at Sam. "Mne eto snitsya?"

Sam licked his lips. "English, G."

"Yesli ya splyu, kto-nibud', pozhaluysta, razbudi menya."

Sam leaned in even closer. "G, I don't know how to help you unless you talk to me in English."

Still gazing up at Sam, Callen's eyes filled with confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent, seemingly unable to find the words he wanted to say. The confusion in his eyes transformed to mild distress. After several seconds, G seemed to wilt. He closed his mouth, and turned his head away, slowly shaking his head.

Sam stood up straight, looked toward the ceiling, and let out a breath. It troubled him to see his partner give up so easily.

Kensi placed one hand on Sam's upper arm, and held her phone up in front of him with the other. "I'll show this to Hetty when she gets here. She'll know what he's trying to tell us."

Callen's blank stare was directed toward the window when the nurse returned a little later. "So did the apple juice do the trick?" Landon asked, laying a fresh packet of ice on the table.

Sam backed away from the bed. "Almost three containers."

"Good. Did he eat anything?"

"Yeah." Deeks piped up from the corner of the room. "One of my partner's mini double chocolate chip cookies."

The nurse turned and looked at Sam with raised eyebrows.

Sam shrugged. "Wouldn't touch that stuff on the tray. And it was only half a cookie."

Grinning a little, Landon began examining Callen's injured wrist and hand. "Looking better. This may be the last time we have to ice it."

Sam let out a sigh of relief. "That's a good thing. He's sort of hard to reason with right now."

Landon stopped to study his patient who was still gazing over toward the window. "Still stuck as a kid?"

"Don't think so. He's just zoned out, like he doesn't know what's going on. I don't think he even understands what we're saying."

The nurse detected a trace of frustration in Sam's last comment. "That's probably the drug still messing with his brain functions. Dr. Lee expects he may continue to experience slowed cognitive processing and, maybe even more hallucinations, over the next few hours."

Sam pressed his lips together, and looked down at his partner. "So the restraints stay?"

"Afraid so."

Sam conceded with a single nod.

Landon checked his watch. "Let me get his vitals, and then I'm going to need a little help turning him on his side before we start the ice therapy."

Marty automatically stood to help. But when he took a step toward the bed, he was halted by a hand signal from Sam.

"I got this, Deeks," Sam said softly, and then moved to the other side of the bed.

Kensi went to the closet and pulled out the three spare pillows. She turned to hand one to Deeks, and noticed her confused Senior Agent's head was lifted off the pillow. He was frowning down at the blood pressure cuff that was being wrapped around his upper right arm. When the cuff began to tighten, his indignant stare lifted up to the nurse who was apparently invading his personal space.

Deeks and Kensi didn't miss the worried look in Sam's eyes when the cuff was removed from Callen's arm, exposing new bruises, some of them in the form of hand prints.

After recording the patient's vital signs, the nurse knelt down and unfastened the ties leading to Callen's right foot, leaving the restraint cuff secured around his ankle.

Sam followed the nurse's cue, and untied G's left ankle and wrist from the bedframe.

With his left arm now free, Callen slowly drew both arms in, crossing them over his chest, and closed his eyes in relief. But when the bedrails were lowered, his eyes suddenly blinked open and he took in a gasp of air.

Landon lowered the head of the bed and pulled down the covers. When he saw the distressed look on his patient's face, he paused to allow him time to process what was going on.

Sam rested his palm on his partner's shoulder. "We're going to turn you onto your side, G."

After studying Sam's face for several seconds, a hint of trust appeared in Callen's eyes, and his body visibly relaxed. Still cradling his injured hand against his chest, Callen was gently scooted to his right and rolled over onto his left side.

Landon examined Callen's back and upper hips for pressure areas, before positioning the pillows behind him, securing the left ankle restraint, and lifting the rail.

Sam stepped out of the way when the nurse came around to the side of the bed Callen was now facing. Landon laid the remaining pillow in front of the patient and carefully positioned the injured arm on it. He squatted down and located the restraint ties.

When G felt his left arm being pulled toward the edge of the bed, he jerked his hand in to his chest.

Sam shook his head, let out a breath, then reached beneath the pillow and grasped Callen's wrist. He tried to ignore the hurt look on his partner's face when his left arm was forced out straight.

Landon tied off the left wrist restraint, pulled the covers back up over his patient, and raised the side rail. Deeks handed him the icepack and he gently placed it on Callen's wrist. After nodding at Sam, and making brief eye contact with Kensi and Deeks, Landon picked up the virtually untouched lunch tray and left the room.

Kensi and Deeks watched apprehensively from the other side of the bed, hoping that this ice treatment would be less turbulent than the last. With Callen now facing away from them, they could not see his expression. But when he began to squirm after the first few minutes, it was apparent that the treatment was beginning to reach the uncomfortable range.

As a reminder to remain still, Sam placed his palm on Callen's elbow, applying just a little downward pressure each time he began to move.

With only five minutes to go, Callen stilled. Deeks and Kensi were puzzled when Sam looked up at them and smiled; that is, until they heard Callen's soft snoring.

Nurse Landon returned a few minutes later to remove the icepack. He had just looked up from examining the patient's wrist when his eyes grew wide. "Miss Lange," He said softly. "I didn't even see you come in."

Kensi and Deeks turned around, also surprised to see Hetty standing right behind them. Deeks shook his head and grinned. "She does have a way of sneaking up on people."

As expected, the stealthy Operations Manager got right to business. "Is he resting?"

Landon pulled the covers up over Callen's shoulder and came around to where Hetty was standing. "Yes. Either the pain is easing up or he's just exhausted."

Hetty nodded. "Any change in his condition?"

Landon glanced back at the patient before responding. "His wrist looks much better. We shouldn't have to ice it again. Dr. Lee wants to get another X-ray. I'm going to go put in the orders for them to send up a mobile unit." Before exiting the room, the nurse stopped, turned and gave one more set of instructions. "Oh, we have his left ankle secured from behind, and the left wrist from in front. That should keep him from going over the rail. But if he becomes combative, he could hurt himself without the other two restraints. Someone needs to watch him closely."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Sam answered quickly.

When the nurse had left, Hetty walked over an uncovered Callen's feet. "I gather by the fact the restraints have not been removed, that he's still disoriented?"

"Pfft. That's an understatement," Deeks said flatly. "Most of the morning, he still thought he was a kid. Now he just pretty much stares around the room."

Sam gripped the side rails with both hands. "He doesn't know which way's up. Doesn't know where he is or even who we are. G spaced out is even harder to deal with. At least he would talk to us when he was a scared little kid."

Hetty replaced the covers over Callen's feet. "He hasn't spoken at all?"

Kensi pulled out her phone. "Except for this. We couldn't understand what he was saying."

Hetty watched the short video. "It's Russian. I caught the word 'dream.' Miss Blye, could you play it for me again, with the volume increased a bit, please?"

As Hetty watched and listened, the second time, sadness filled her eyes. "He asks the question, 'Am I dreaming?... If I sleep,… someone please wake me up.'"

Kensi slowly put her phone away, and everyone stood, silently watching Callen for a few moments.

The quiet was interrupted by the buzzing of a cell phone. Hetty turned her head toward the couch. "Oh, that must be Miss Jones." She walked over to where her handbag was sitting, fished out her phone, and flipped it open. "Yes?... And you've verified the information… What time?... Thank you, Nell. Tell Eric I need to know the second his plane touches down." She closed her phone and dropped it back down in her bag.

"We have a case, Hetty?" Sam asked, keeping his voice low.

"Yes. We now have confirmation that Antonio Zamora has reentered the country."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Zamora? His trail went cold more than a year ago."

"Yes. It's been fifteen months since he slipped out of the country, undetected."

Deeks looked at Kensi and then back at Hetty. "Who is this guy?"

"Antonio Zamora is a wealthy businessman who is suspected of bankrolling at least seven terrorist cells in the U.S. alone. He was spotted in Miami three days ago, under one of his aliases, Lorenzo Gutierrez. He and his entourage are scheduled to land in LA this evening."

The detective's blond eyebrows knitted together. "If we know he's coming, why don't we just arrest the guy?"

Just then, Callen's body jerked, and a soft, raspy moan followed.

Seeing Sam's features soften, as he looked down at his partner, it was obvious to the others that Callen had opened his eyes.

Sam tilted his head to the side. "Hey, G. You gonna sleep all day?"

Callen moved again, this time sliding his arm off the pillow and into his chest.

"Uh, uh, buddy. This has to stay up here. Doctor's orders," He said while gently placing G's arm back on the pillow.

Hetty paused for a moment, before continuing with her briefing on the case. "To answer your question, Mr. Deeks, our objective is to track his activity for several days. We need to determine if he has already established cell groups in our area."

Wordlessly, Hetty glided around to the other side of the bed, stepping into the space Sam had made for her, between him and the bed. "Zamora has booked a suite at the Elegante," She continued. "Currently, there are three VIP suits unoccupied. We are not certain which one the hotel will assign to him once they arrive, and we can't risk tipping off the hotel staff by asking questions. Zamora's pockets are deep. We just don't know how many people he has working for him."

Hetty reached up and touched the top of Callen's head, then lightly ran the backs of her fingers down his right temple. After returning her hand to her side, she let out a breath. "We have a team in place to run surveillance. But once he has checked into the hotel, I need the three of you to go undercover as hotel staff and set up the cameras and the audio."

Not surprising to anyone, Sam immediately protested. "Hetty."

"Mr. Hanna. I need you on the case. You and Miss Blye already know what the man looks like, how he operates. I have an agent in route. He will stay with Mr. Callen until the assignment is over. It will just be a matter of hours until you may return. I need my best team on this Op. And we are already a man down."

Sam stood up straight, crossed his arms, and huffed. "Hetty! I can't leave him. Not like this!"

Frightened by the sudden outburst from the large man standing over him, Callen jerked against the restraints. His body still tense, he pulled his injured arm into his chest and looked up at Sam with wide eyes.

Sam pressed his lips together, looking down at his partner with remorseful eyes. "Sorry, G… You're alright… I'm sorry."

Hetty waited until Callen had relaxed a little, and eased his arm back onto the pillow.

"We can do it," Deeks said rather timidly from the other side of the room. "I mean… me and Kensi. I'll get Eric to send me all the photos he has of these guys, and Kensi can fill me in on the rest. Sam's place is here with his partner. We can handle it."

With pursed lips, Hetty studied her injured agent. After a moment, she closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Very well, then. Agent Blye and Detective Deeks will set up the audio, visual, and tracking devices."

Sam visibly relaxed. He looked over at Deeks and gave him a single nod.

"Don't just stand there," Hetty ordered. "You two need to get going. Duty calls. Get with wardrobe so they can duplicate the appropriate hotel staff uniforms. I'll be there soon. Now shoo," She said, waving her hands toward the exit.

Before the female agent and the liaison were even out the door, the banter had ignited.

"Hey, Kenz. What about one of those sexy little French maids' uniforms."

"Good idea, Deeks. But I don't think you have time to shave your legs."

Hetty shook her head, gazing at the now closed door. "I must have lost my bloody mind."

Sam smiled. "They'll do fine, Hetty. They make a good team."

Hetty's lips parted and she tilted her head back a little. "As do you and Mr. Callen. Take good care of him, Sam."

"I will." The smile suddenly left Sam's face. "And Hetty?... Thank you."

After a nod of acknowledgement, the tired Operations Manager left the room.


	17. Partner

Chapter 17: Partner

As soon as Hetty had left for the office, Sam pulled the straight-back chair from the corner and sat down next to the bed as close as he was able to. With Callen still lying on his left side, Sam was now practically face-to-face with his partner.

Callen tiredly stared up at Sam, some distress still in his eyes, leftover from when Sam had raised his voice at Hetty, insisting that he remain at the hospital.

Sam sat silently, watching his friend for a few moments before speaking, "You with me, G?"

Callen's features relaxed at his words. There were no longer signs of fear, distrust, or even confusion in his vacant gaze.

Sam leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. "I wish I knew what to do for you," He confessed softly. "I know you're in there, buddy… but it's like… it's not even you. You're not eating." The corners of Sam's mouth turned up a little. "You're not talking. Now, that's a first. And, you've probably slept more the past few days than in the last six months put together. I don't understand what's going on. G Callen's not supposed to be afraid of anything." Sam leaned back in his chair. "Well, except when people are shooting at us… and then there's needles… and Hetty." Sam's small smile faded and his eyes narrowed. "And, you're afraid of me… you're partner. I've never seen you like this. My partner would be demanding his clothes, so he can get out of this place. You should be fighting mad that you're tied to this bed." Sam shook his head sadly. "It's like you've… just… given up."

Callen just lay there, blinking slowly, staring blankly back at Sam.

"See what I mean? This is the part where you're supposed to change the subject, or make some wisecrack about me not being your mother." Sam reached to his waist, and pulled out the wallet that contained his credentials. He flipped the wallet open, holding the now exposed metal shield up for his partner to see.

Callen squinted at the badge, glanced up at Sam, and then looked back down at the wallet in puzzlement.

"It looks familiar, doesn't it? You have one of these." Sam put the wallet away, and once again focused on the vacant blue eyes looking back at him. "You're my partner. Sure, sometimes I think about knocking you smooth out… when you go all lone-wolf on me… You… against the world. But, I guess that's the way it's always been for you… G Callen versus the world. You have some real trust issues." Sam leaned in closer to the bedside. "But, we're family. You're my partner, G," He explained, his eyes and his voice now pleading. "And I need my partner back."

The air was silent as both men regarded each other.

Interrupting the moment, there was a quick tap on the door, and Nurse Landon entered the room. "They're here to X-ray that wrist." He scooted the portable bedside table and the trashcan out of the way, making room for the huge mobile X-ray unit that was being wheeled in by two young female techs. "This is Sandy," Landon said, pointing to the young lady in front with short blonde hair. "And, I'm sorry, I don't know your name," He apologized, looking toward the girl with dark hair and Asian features.

"I'm Nikki."

"Agent Hanna, we'll need to step out for just a minute." Landon gestured with his hand.

Sam had come around to where the nurse was standing, when he and Landon noticed the techs were still stationed near the doorway, just behind the X-ray machine, and weren't moving.

Landon tilted his head to the side. "Ladies, is there a problem?"

Nikki bit her bottom lip. "Yeah? Maybe?" She said timidly. "Is the patient restrained?"

"Two points; left ankle and wrist."

"I'm sorry," Sandy said, looking cautiously toward the bed. "But this is the guy who broke Adam's nose this morning. Could you please restrain the right side, as well?"

Landon scrubbed his faced with his palm and then looked over at the ex-SEAL with an apologetic grimace. "It is written in his orders. We'll untie him as soon as they're done."

Sam paused, and then motioned to the bed with a tilt of his head.

The nurse went around to the side of the bed his patient was facing and slowly pulled the covers down to the footboard. After located the ties to the cuff attached to Callen's right ankle, he squatted down and secured them to the frame of the bed.

Landon pointed to the wrist restraint that was lying on the small table beside the head of the bed, and Sam handed it across to him.

When the nurse reached for his arm, Callen responded by pulling his right hand up to his neck, holding it there in a guarded position.

Sandy and Nikki watched from the doorway. With the patient's back now exposed, they could see that his breathing was becoming more distressed.

Sam stepped up behind Callen and put one hand on his partner's shoulder. "It's okay, G. Nothing's going to happen to you. You're safe.''

Callen relaxed enough for Landon to slip the cuff around his forearm. While fastening the restraint to the rail, Landon glanced up briefly at the two young women, still hovering near the entrance. "I'm leaving some slack in this one so you can position his arm for the X-rays." Landon stood up straight and rounded the foot of the bed. "We'll be right outside, if you need us."

Sam reluctantly followed the nurse out into the hall, closing the door behind him.

The brunette tech went around to the side of the bed Callen was facing and Sandy began moving the large machine into place.

Callen cut his eyes to the right, looking up at the huge equipment now towering over his body. And when Nikki slid the film cassette up under his hand and forearm, he startled.

It was apparent to the young techs that having all four extremities now restrained, and including the sudden encounter with new faces and huge, noisy equipment, the patient was getting overwhelmed.

Callen looked up at Nikki with watery eyes, gasped for air, and made a feeble attempt to move his arms and legs.

The techs exchanged worried glances, as they spread the lead, protective cover over the patient.

"It's okay," Nikki tried to reassure him. "We're not going to hurt you. We're just going to take a couple of pictures of your wrist. Then we'll be done."

The heavy blanket seemed to have a calming effect on Callen. He became still, and after several slow blinks, closed his eyes.

Sam and the nurse were allowed back into the room as soon as the X-rays were completed, both a bit surprised to see that Callen's eyes were closed.

"Did he do alright?" Landon asked the strangely-teary-eyed techs, as they removed the heavy cover and folded it.

Nikki, unable to speak, nodded at Landon and steered the large machine through the doorway.

Sandy cleared her throat. "As it turns out, he was much more afraid of us, than we were of him." After a faint, "Sorry…" she quickly joined her coworker in the hall.

As promised, Landon released his sleeping patient's right wrist and ankle. He had just pulled the covers up when a hospital employee knocked and stuck their head in the door. "Landon, there's a call for you on line three. It's Dr. Lee."

"Thanks, Wendy. I'm headed that way." Landon nodded his farewell to Sam and left the room.

Ten minutes later, Landon returned to find the patient was awake. He held up a white, wrist splint and looked across to where Sam was standing. "Dr. Lee wants him to wear this until he can take a look at the X-rays."

Sam stepped aside for the nurse who was coming around to his side of the bed. "That's a good idea. He keeps trying to use that hand."

Landon removed the restraint cuff from the patient's forearm. "With all the moving around he's been doing, he really needs to be in a cast. Dr. Lee just wants to make sure the bone doesn't need to be set first. Let me get this on him, and then we need to turn him onto his back."

Callen hissed when his hand and wrist were placed in the splint. He frowned at his hand, then narrowed his eyes and looked up at the nurse.

"Sorry, man." Landon apologized quietly.

G continued to stare at Landon until the straps of the splint had been fastened, and his hand was released back down to the pillow.

The remaining restraints were unfastened, the side rails lowered, and the pillows removed, in preparation for repositioning the patient. One on each side of the bed, Sam and Landon grabbed the draw sheet.

But, as he was being turned, Callen tensed, taking in a gulp of air, and grabbed a fist full of Sam's t-shirt with his left hand.

"We got you, buddy. We're not gonna let you fall."

When Callen seemed to be convinced he was stable, he released Sam's shirt, and lowered his head to the pillow.

"That's it, G. Just relax."

Sam watched the nurse raise the head of the bed, elevate Callen's arm on a pillow, pull the covers up, and lift the rails. Landon was about to leave when Sam commented on a step that seemed to be omitted. "We're not going to tie off the restraints?"

Landon stopped at the door. Without turning to face Sam, he responded. "Just keep a close eye on him."

After the door had closed, Callen flinched from apparent pain.

Concern filled Sam's eyes as he looked down at his friend. Without pain meds, the next fifteen hours were going to be tough for his partner.

Within a few seconds, Callen grimaced again. This time, he held his breath, and bent his left knee, pushing his hips up off the mattress just a little.

Sam placed his palm on Callen's left shoulder. "Take a breath, G."

Several seconds passed before Callen let out a breath.

"There you go. Take deep breaths."

Still breathing hard, G looked up, searching Sam's eyes for a moment, as if pleading for help.

"I've got you." Sam gave Callen's shoulder a light squeeze. "Hang in there, buddy. You've got to fight this. Remember? I need my partner back."

Callen's breathing eased and his body relaxed.

"That's it." Sam patted Callen's shoulder. "You're gonna be fine. I have your back."

G lay there for a few moments, blinking owlishly up at Sam.

A small smile formed on Sam's face. He had seen a flicker of recognition in his partner's exhausted eyes, just before they closed.


	18. Backfire

Chapter 18: Backfire

Sam sat next to the bed, keeping an eye on his sleeping partner. He had hoped that having the restraints untied would bring some comfort to G. But that didn't seem to be the case. Callen had flinched several times in his sleep, and had now begun to stir.

A few minutes had passed when Sam received a text from his wife. He had just replied to her message when he heard Callen mumble. Quietly, Sam put his phone away and looked over to the bed with a worried frown. Judging from G's listless movements, and the tension in his brow, the nightmares had returned.

Sam sat, watching, contemplating waking his partner, when all at once there was a loud bang from a vehicle backfiring on the street below.

Jolted awake from the sudden sound, Callen's eyes flew open, panicked, and he sucked in a quick breath of air.

Sam was on his feet and at G's side in a split second, but not in time to stop Callen from flinging himself over onto his right side, and grabbing the opposite side rail with his left hand.

Callen cried out from the intense pain caused by turning onto his injured hip, but he continued to grasp the rail, trying frantically to pull himself up and away from the side of bed Sam was standing on.

"G. Calm down. It's okay," Sam soothed. But when Callen only tried harder to scoot away from the hands that were now touching him, it was apparent that Sam was going to need backup. He pressed the Call light, and continued to try to coax his partner into rolling onto his back, keeping his voice calm, but firm. "Come on, G. You're hurting yourself. You need to relax."

In his disoriented state, Callen did not relax. He groaned painfully and continued struggling to move away from the "danger." He dug his left foot into the mattress, and in a desperate attempt to push himself up over the rail, lost his traction. His left heel slid backward, leaving his foot trapped behind him, between the bottom of the side rail and the mattress.

Nurse Landon and a male aide came rushing into the room just as Callen cried out in pain, letting go of the rail, and collapsing down onto his right side.

Landon stopped in his tracks and, in a matter of seconds, surveyed the scene. His patient was obviously in pain, and in a state of panic. He was lying catty-corner in the bed, on his injured side, his eyes screwed shut. Agent Hanna was stationed on the other side of the bed, trying to still his partner by holding him at his left hip and shoulder. Landon glanced up and was met by Sam's worried gaze, a look that was definitely pleading for help.

All at once, Callen's glassy blue eyes popped open. He reached with his left hand, grabbed the rail in front of him, and once again, began struggling to pull himself up.

Landon quickly moved to the bedside while motioning to the aide. "Ryan! Other side! We need to get him still!"

Ryan hurried around and took over the job of blocking the patient's hip, allowing Sam to move up and get a firm grasp of Callen's upper arm and shoulder.

Landon lowered the head of the bed and went to work on trying to pull Callen's hand off the rail.

Callen's panic escalated, and Ryan found himself having to press down harder on the patient's hip and thigh to keep him from moving. "Don't know if I can keep him still without hurting him, Landon. What are his injuries?"

"Pelvis, ribs, and wrist. All on the right." Landon tugged hard on the patient's hand that was still stubbornly gripping the rail. "Man," He grunted. "He's strong when that adrenalin kicks in. He's got a death-grip on this rail." With one more forceful yank, he was able to pry Callen's fingers loose. He pushed the now-freed arm back toward Sam, who took it wordlessly.

Keeping a hold on G's shoulder, Sam wrapped his long fingers around his partner's arm, and forced G's arm to straighten along his back.

The nurse quickly lowered the rail on his side. "Let's roll him over… On my count. One, two…"

"Wait!" Sam yelled. "His foot's caught!"

Landon jerked the covers down, letting them fall off the end of the bed, exposing the foot that was still wedged beneath the metal rail. "That's probably the only reason he hasn't make it over the side of the bed. Ryan, see if you can get his foot out! I'll hold his leg."

The aide leaned in, pressed the outer edge of the mattress down, widening the gap so that he could pull the patient's foot from beneath the rail. Before Ryan or Landon had time to react, the freed leg jerked forward, and then backward, forcefully kicking Ryan in the ribs. The aide doubled over and stumbled back a few steps.

Callen's leg recoiled. "No!" He cried out, as he kicked backward, the bottom of his foot crashing into the metal rail behind him.

Landon looked across to the nurses' aide, who was still trying to catch his breath. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... Just got the wind… knocked out of me." Still breathing hard, Ryan moved back up to the side of the bed, and was able to grab the patient's foot before it could deliver another blow.

But Callen only used Ryan's hold on him as leverage, and began struggling even harder to push his body forward. "Let me go," He grunted out through gritted teeth.

Leaning awkwardly over the side rail, Sam was losing his hold on G. "Need this rail down!"

The nurse moved down and grabbed the patient's calf and thigh. "I'll hold him, Ryan. Drop the rail!"

The aide followed orders, quickly releasing the rail and lowering it.

"Let's try this again," Landon said as Ryan, once again, took over the job of holding Callen's left leg still. "There's no easy way to do this. I'm going to have to pull his injured extremities my way. Hold him down while I get the restraints tied. Ready?"

"Ready!" Ryan and Sam sounded at the same time.

Landon reached beneath the side the patient was lying on, grabbing Callen's upper arm with his left hand, and using his right hand to hook the inside of the patient's thigh. "One. Two. Three!"

Callen gasped for air as he was flipped onto his back in one painful movement. He stilled for several seconds, a stunned look on his face, his glassy eyes focusing on something straight in front of him that wasn't there.

The nurse waved his palm back-and-forth in front of the patient's face, eliciting no blinks or eye movements. "He's definitely not with us."

Then, as quickly as G had stopped fighting, he bent his left leg, pushed his heel into the mattress, and attempted to roll back over toward Landon.

"No, G!" Sam forcefully straightened his partner's left arm, pressing it down to the mattress.

The nurse maintained his hold of the injured extremities, while Ryan began the challenge of securing the left leg.

Callen only fought harder, bucking beneath their hold, panting for air.

Landon had to catch the right arm that had slipped from his grasp. "I need to get the restraints on. We've got to get him still!"

Without a word, Sam sat down on the bed next to Callen and leaned his mass onto his partner's torso, and pinned both forearms to the mattress in the surrender position. Sam could feel Callen's heart beating wildly through his own chest. His partner had no idea what was going on. Again, Sam felt the stab of guilt in his heart. _This shouldn't have happened._ Sam mourned.

Callen tried to move his head away from Sam's, blue eyes not registering anything but the need to get free.

Quickly, Sam swallowed away his feelings and pulled G's weak arm down so the nurse could tie it to the frame of the bed.

Disoriented, Callen jerked his left leg out of Ryan's grasp and attempted to squirm out from beneath Sam's chest.

Sam allowed a little more of his mass to weigh down on Callen. He rapidly schooled his breathing—a Navy Seal trick—so his own fear and concern wouldn't be as noticeable to Callen. "Calm down, G." Sam said, lowly, doing his best to sound soothing in the awkward position he was in.

G wheezed, straining to get air into his lungs. His unfocused gaze shifted to the huge form that was bearing down on his chest, and his eyes filled with fear.

Sam was fairly certain, by his partner's grimace, that the right leg was being secured. But when G stilled, his brow creased with panic, and he tried to look around Sam, to see what was going on below, the Ex-Seal was certain that the nurse and aide were securing the left leg to the bed.

The sudden restriction in movement caused the terror in Callen's eyes to grow. He weakly shook his head back-and-forth. Still fighting for air, G began to pant. "No, no, no," was his whispered mantra between breaths.

Sam remained steady, hoping that G would realize, at least subconsciously, that he didn't have to be afraid. He didn't have to fight.

By time Landon had moved up to restrain the left wrist, Callen had begun to lose strength beneath Sam's hold.

Sam eased up on the pressure. "It's okay, G," Sam encouraged softly. "You're safe."

The feeble struggling finally ceased. Still breathing hard and fast, heart still racing, Callen stared up at the familiar brown eyes looking down at him.

"Take deep breaths, G… That's it… You know me… I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're okay."

Still looking up at his partner, all the tension seemed to drain from Callen's body as he let out a breath and closed his eyes.


End file.
